The blanket in the winters is tantamount to the eternal purr of a cat.
What's a purr, you may ask?
It's the sound of a very calm and comforted cat that radiates as it curls into a ball of fluff. Yet, the blanket in the poetic realm is not as bubblegum simple, in my opinion.
In the years past, enduring the struggle of a young man and his wife trying to strive through the thickets, my wife and I had to go minimalistic in the efforts to keep ourselves warm, not taking away from the dire requisite of procuring the thickest blanket you may find in the Delhi chill, yet we were somehow taken care of supernaturally by an ordinary summer-friendly blanket to cover ourselves with.
Sleeping like a shrimp does help, but constant uplifting calls for being battle hardened got us through the year-on-year scuffle with the winter.
But the thought that, yes, things could be better. But they could've also been worse, got me going to see how intricately calculated my adversity was. Just enough weight for me to carry and get firm and poised for battle.
Like an ice cube that's thawing by the supernal unity among mankind, I learnt some incalculable metrics of survival, the weapon of standing tall together against any adversity in absolute synchronicity, truth, faith and love, going full throttle in accordance with the Creator's commands is of absolute momentousness.
King Solomon rightly bestowed a monologue of his resolute findings, where riches instinctively ignited the term “vanity!”, yet anything lasting made him change gears, appreciate, ponder and pause upon the same.
What he chose to stay steadfast upon throughout was the Creator and His precepts and its perfectly intertwining design webbed up with true lasting virtuous blessings, love, unity and a legacy.
Ecclesiastes 4:10 JPS Tanakh
“For should they fall, one can raise the other; but woe betide him who is alone and falls with no companion to raise him!
Further, when two lie together they are warm; but how can he who is alone get warm?
Also, if one attacks, two can stand up to him. A threefold cord is not readily broken!”As you may see above, the words of the wisest and richest man ever are pretty conclusively convicted and rooted in the deepest pot in his mind.
He's irritable with surface level symbols of prosperity like the red carpets, chariots and other bells and whistles, but gets invigorated and spiritually sparked to station himself on the topics of building lasting riches like a family, wisdom, a progeny and a legacy.
So, why does the Creator throw us in the ocean of lack and desire if he truly loves us?
The answer would be — He loves us so much, that when He gives you just enough for survival, there arises a compulsive need for us to get spiritually curious and muscle up the supernatural elements of survival and the metaphysical that we didn't know exist. Like thought and expression are powers, circumstances are derivatives of decisions, both collective and individual.
The effects of a single spark can bring much harm, on the contrary, the same element of fire, even though ablaze, could be harnessed to wisely survive, such as to cook a meal; and inversely to cause harm and severe irreparable damage.
Proverbs 3:11 Koren Jerusalem Bible
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord; nor be weary of his correction:
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves: even as a father the son in whom he delights."
Decisions and developing the right schematic is why the Creator immerses us in the jungle of life, where the tools need sharpening and mysteries need unraveling. Being over adventurous in the wrong direction could be counterproductive, by collecting some magical clouds of wisdom through a stencil of understanding which for me is the Torah, is the meticulous way to live a masterpiece of a life.
In both material lack and riches, you're wealthy if you know Him — the Source — the invisible hand that created us, feeds us, keeps us warm and rightfully disciplines us from time to time.
The relevance of the blanket you may seek in this spinning poetic ball of words. I will have to pencil point the spec of gold on the papyrus.
A “poetic blanket” in my discernment and comprehension, can be likened to that one idea or thought to live by, ominously known as the “Blanket Statement”.
I deduced I must…
Procure the thickest blanket I can find this winter, to mark the reversal of my debacle from winter's past and the Creator lovingly restoring our household in bounteous yet incremental proportion.
So, I used the auspicious occasion to mark my Blanket-acquisition with an impressionable train of thought to pass down as an heirloom as I live on like the eternal river of poetry, that outlasts the blanket I purchased.
I walked into an exhibition in my neighborhood, where there were different specimens of craftsmanship and handlooming maneuvers.
Upon whisking through the newly stocked blankets I'd earlier requested the gentleman for, I came to find my thin knowledge for thick blankets, as I have just moved to the deeper end of the thermostatic pool. Our birthplace, Bombay, steamed us humid in winters, but Delhi hit us with a frozen cricket bat.
Before the nervous splurge, I asked the merchant if I'd have to wash it often. He said you won't need to, it's a one-time purchase. He imparted some pearls of wisdom that I didn't just take literally, but poetically.
He said, “If you look after it, and don't wear your shoes, socks, dirty feet, and waltz into the bed, it will easily last you a decade and beyond otherwise any fabric will be decimated by poor maintenance and careless handling.”
He kept stressing on the need to not avail of any warranty on this precious and warm fluff of fabric, provided you place some ground rules while you interact with it.
Upon this auspicious acquisition, I began drawing metaphorical and poetic similarities to never forget the entry of a beauteous blessing my way.
I designed the Blanket Statement of my life.
The Blanket, by nature to me, is synonymous to the life I design for myself and my relationship to the Creator who lovingly blankets me in His loving embrace with His unchanging mercies, despite the erratic weather and its unpredictable whims that seem to conspire against my flesh.
But if the Creator never changes, I must reciprocate by following a Blanketed approach that mirrors the Maker's concern and care towards me, by adhering and abiding by His Unchanging instruction, that helped me reach the point to ethically procure the blanket after all.
A strong resolve of not caving in to a tyrannical opposition seeking to break my conviction of keeping the Torah, which I'm now wrapping myself with as a Blanket, supernaturally sustained me of many perils and swords coming for me.
A Lawless-living is synonymous to the Blanket merchant’s caution of a "do what thou wilt" approach, which will destroy the most meticulously crafted blanket, turning the wise, foolish and the wealthy into a pauper.
The deeds you decide to commit and the path you adopt, is fatally decisive to the state of your spiritual blanket, which in my view is a human soul. Its sustenance and retention of its beauty is all upto the way you set your Blanket Statement, which could be a wicked and lawless charter to live life, OR, the eternal charter — The Torah.
All wisdom begins with obedience to the Creator, and my new resolute feather on my hat of convictions would be the "Blanket Statement of the Torah."
Now, how do I feel about my new blanket, you may ask?
The answer?
Like possibly one of the many feelings of what Moses may have felt near the Burning Bush.
My Creator, enveloping me in comfort and swaddling me with just what I need, to fill the right schematic in my Blanket understanding.
How's the North journey been so far?
My wife and I migrated up north to Delhi, in around mid 2021, quite a tidal-waved quest for survival.
Two years of painfully puncturing through the cocoon of acquiring wisdom and understanding through the Torah...
It's the first time we're fearless to face the frosty weather heading our way, the Creator literally got us "Covered".
Fill in the Blanket.
I swirl in my blanket
I pearl in thoughts of the wise
The meticulously handled blanket lasts eons
Diametrically the carelessly soiled one dies.
The Blanket is a human soul
That must be swaddled in sound understanding
With the deceitful scepter of the wicked
Only the folly imbued thieves must be banding.
Filling the Blanket Statement,
With the righteous coat of Torah keeping.
When disaster strikes the unprepared soul,
Even a blanket won't suffice your weeping.
The warmth of a fireplace,
Writing a book knitting a sweater by
The Creator is an enveloping hand around my person,
Assurance that we can luxuriously live even after we die.
To conclude, the Apex blanket statement by the ultimate sage himself — the Son of King David.
Ecclesiastes 12 JPS Tanakh 1985
“A further word: Against them, my son, be warned!
The making of many books is without limit
And much study is a wearying of the flesh.
The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere God and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind:
that God will call every creature to account for everything unknown, be it good or bad.”