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| Image source: Internet |
On the wings of spring
Cuckoo —
Flue away
* * *
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
Showing posts with label Mumbai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mumbai. Show all posts
13/09/2014
Spring Time (Haiku)
On the wings of spring
Cuckoo —
Flue away
* * *
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
30/09/2011
These Offspring of Kali
By Remigius de Souza
(Written, 1980s)
Notes 1: 21st century is witnessing uprisings of the poor at many places. This has been happening in the past, but now it is simultaneously a Global Action, as a result of Global Oppression by invisible tentacles of invisible global Capitalist Powers.
2: Image of Goddess Kali is one of the popular versions that are mass-printed in various sizes, available in the market.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
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| Goddess Kali |
Kali - Goddess of Destruction and Regeneration,
is one of the three expressions of Shakti or Energy.
The other two are Lakshmi - goddess of sustenance
and Sarasvati - Goddess of Learning.
is one of the three expressions of Shakti or Energy.
The other two are Lakshmi - goddess of sustenance
and Sarasvati - Goddess of Learning.
I jump on an incoming evening seven thirteen train
to secure a window seat.
As I open 'Leaves of Grass' the first line noticed,
declares, 'Sing on there in the swamp' in
the 'Memoirs of President Lincoln'.
An urchin occupies the seat next to me
With harmonium on her lap;
Her fingers wide apart, search for a pitch across
on the bars, high low, high low,
from maintain picks to deep seas.
She settles on a pitch appropriate to the crowded train
in motion, plays a pop movie song.
On the threshold of sprouting youth, her dark face
And full eyes glowed divine grace;
She is sound personified.
Her wards, two little sisters, one recites the song lines;
The other with tiny folded hands;
They appeal to the softer edges of weary home-going crowd;
They, not belonging to the mundane, remain
Untouched by hostilities or sympathies.
The Time atomised; there is no yesterday, tomorrow neither.
The concert moves to the next compartment.
They have not lost either their fragrance of innocence
Or dignity of untimely adulthood,
In the energies creative to sustain.
The last straw of hope, yet for the Post-historic
Civilization of exploitation,
These offspring of Kali, until they open
The Third Eye imminent
To make way for regeneration.
(Written, 1980s)
Notes 1: 21st century is witnessing uprisings of the poor at many places. This has been happening in the past, but now it is simultaneously a Global Action, as a result of Global Oppression by invisible tentacles of invisible global Capitalist Powers.
2: Image of Goddess Kali is one of the popular versions that are mass-printed in various sizes, available in the market.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
30/07/2011
'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction
'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction (Self-portrait) published on ARCHETYPES INDIA
Octopus Paul one day suddenly came in limelight.
The cause? It predicted results of the international hockey tournament. That took the First World Nations by storm.
Twitter was crowded by some million twits.
That crowd blocked the site for few hours! Such a craze... blind faith! That too from so-called advance societies! Amazing!
A European nation was even ready to buy that animal.
'Tentacles', Remigius de Souza's self-portrait was published on Net, but none was moved. Not even his friends!
Remi generally does not look in to mirror. Because he notices 'octopus' in the mirror! What, then, could be his misery while wandering the streets of Mumbai metropolis?
He notices millions of people (his aborigine and peasant kinfolks) in the glass-clad multi-storied buildings mushrooming in the concrete jungle. But that never stops Mumbai!
Octopus Paul was a baby, lost to its community and natural environment. After a few months it died. Relieved!
Did anyone ask Octopus Paul before it died, "When this modern Industrial Civilization, which has become powerful within few centuries, will vanish?" We have not heard.
Oh, what do you ask!
The very strength of the powerful is their weakest point. There is a mythological Indian story of Bhasmasur that repeats again and again.
In reality the mighty industrial society has gone with the octopus.
In this self-portrait, 'Tentacles', Remi notices himself swallowing Natural Environment by his tentacles spreading and reaching across regions far and wide.
Call it is his misfortune, or call it his fate of unwanted share, or call it a ruthless criticism on Industrial Civilization.
Remi, however, laughs at himself at his cost.
Note. 1: As we write this post, there comes news about, Shuttle Atlantis docks with space station for last time! What a relief for the hungry masses of the world!! Better late than never!!!
2. Remi de Souza doesn’t watch cricket, hockey, football or such events as Olympics, World Cup etc. for he believes that any game must be played for leisure, and such mass events consolidate the centralized powers, and waste finite fossil energy.
~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
Srishti – Mother Nature – has Plenty to share; Nothing for sell; Nothing to buy. That's 'Reunion with Mother Nature' – Srishtiyoga (SRISHTIYOGA July 7, 2011)
 |
| ‘Tentacles’ | Remigius de Souza| 1987 | water colour on handmade paper |
Octopus Paul one day suddenly came in limelight.
The cause? It predicted results of the international hockey tournament. That took the First World Nations by storm.
Twitter was crowded by some million twits.
That crowd blocked the site for few hours! Such a craze... blind faith! That too from so-called advance societies! Amazing!
A European nation was even ready to buy that animal.
'Tentacles', Remigius de Souza's self-portrait was published on Net, but none was moved. Not even his friends!
Remi generally does not look in to mirror. Because he notices 'octopus' in the mirror! What, then, could be his misery while wandering the streets of Mumbai metropolis?
He notices millions of people (his aborigine and peasant kinfolks) in the glass-clad multi-storied buildings mushrooming in the concrete jungle. But that never stops Mumbai!
Octopus Paul was a baby, lost to its community and natural environment. After a few months it died. Relieved!
Did anyone ask Octopus Paul before it died, "When this modern Industrial Civilization, which has become powerful within few centuries, will vanish?" We have not heard.
Oh, what do you ask!
The very strength of the powerful is their weakest point. There is a mythological Indian story of Bhasmasur that repeats again and again.
In reality the mighty industrial society has gone with the octopus.
In this self-portrait, 'Tentacles', Remi notices himself swallowing Natural Environment by his tentacles spreading and reaching across regions far and wide.
Call it is his misfortune, or call it his fate of unwanted share, or call it a ruthless criticism on Industrial Civilization.
Remi, however, laughs at himself at his cost.
Note. 1: As we write this post, there comes news about, Shuttle Atlantis docks with space station for last time! What a relief for the hungry masses of the world!! Better late than never!!!
2. Remi de Souza doesn’t watch cricket, hockey, football or such events as Olympics, World Cup etc. for he believes that any game must be played for leisure, and such mass events consolidate the centralized powers, and waste finite fossil energy.
~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
01/10/2009
FOREST DAMES IN THE URBAN JUNGLE
At early hours
Silently thy walk at a quick pace
In a single file
Even in this metropolis as in the forest
Keeping an even
Distance at an arm’s length
From each other,
The spring in their feet, rhythm
Of their bodies,
Like storks in the morning sky.
Their focus is fully
To reach the flower bazaar quickly,
Balancing the head load
Of leaves collected from forest land.
Standing at roadside
They quickly sale, earn some cash,
And by noon time
Return to the forest – their homestead.
They’ve no interest
In this glamorous city of gold and trade.
Neither have they seen
The lures on the life-size hoardings
By half naked beauties
Nor they sight show-windows countless.
They make sure
To wrap a towel or pallu* around
Of nine-yard bikinis,
Cover the bare thighs and swinging hips.
It is a tightrope
Walk for survival – to live sanely
In the habitat
Infected by the barbarian Moderns.
On their way back
In file, they respect each other’s space.
All their attention now,
at noon time, their hungry babies at home.
Their full breasts ache
With milk for the child waiting for feed.
In the sex obsessed city
The motherhood is not on a fashion ramp.
*****
Remigius de Souza
Mumbai, 21(12)/11/2003
NOTES:
* Pallu: a free end usually taken over head or around the shouldes of nine-yard sari.
* These forest dames are mostly from Thane District, the backyard of Mumbai city. They mostly belong to Warli tribe. As of today I notice a change in their attire; the younger generation has adopted to five yard saris in place of traditional nine yard ones.
~~~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
Silently thy walk at a quick pace
In a single file
Even in this metropolis as in the forest
Keeping an even
Distance at an arm’s length
From each other,
The spring in their feet, rhythm
Of their bodies,
Like storks in the morning sky.
Their focus is fully
To reach the flower bazaar quickly,
Balancing the head load
Of leaves collected from forest land.
Standing at roadside
They quickly sale, earn some cash,
And by noon time
Return to the forest – their homestead.
They’ve no interest
In this glamorous city of gold and trade.
Neither have they seen
The lures on the life-size hoardings
By half naked beauties
Nor they sight show-windows countless.
They make sure
To wrap a towel or pallu* around
Of nine-yard bikinis,
Cover the bare thighs and swinging hips.
It is a tightrope
Walk for survival – to live sanely
In the habitat
Infected by the barbarian Moderns.
On their way back
In file, they respect each other’s space.
All their attention now,
at noon time, their hungry babies at home.
Their full breasts ache
With milk for the child waiting for feed.
In the sex obsessed city
The motherhood is not on a fashion ramp.
*****
Remigius de Souza
Mumbai, 21(12)/11/2003
NOTES:
* Pallu: a free end usually taken over head or around the shouldes of nine-yard sari.
* These forest dames are mostly from Thane District, the backyard of Mumbai city. They mostly belong to Warli tribe. As of today I notice a change in their attire; the younger generation has adopted to five yard saris in place of traditional nine yard ones.
~~~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
22/08/2009
FLOWERS FOREVER
My pathway along the flower bazaar
is hiding its face in utter shame
under the carpet of discarded
faded yesterday’s flowers rising
a stinking aroma as the sun rises up.
They have no salvation and no way
of reaching ever the mother earth
to sustain life eternal, the destiny
denied by the high profile culture
in this flourishing metropolis.
Dirty soil is buried under the tar
layer – no way for a drop of water
to reach thirsty streams below –
as the sun comes up oozes vapour
in the golden city ruled by high culture.
Beside the flower-bazaar lays flesh-bazaar
flourishing spreading its infectious cult
on the high ways and in by-lanes
to other bazaars of hedonic tastes.
A plucked flower here is eye’s pleasure.
Flowers and flesh are graded and priced
from expensive orchid to cheap minor ones
according to affordability in fairness.
Calling the call-girls as sex workers
to honour the labour, the socially awakened
class absolves itself of cultural taboos
and makes way for them to the altar
of progressive newfangled civilisation.
Flowers are offered here to the idols –
the gods or leaders – among the moderns.
The orthodox tribes offer in worship
flowers with grasses ? gains ? leaves ? fruits;
their women who adorn vermilion and
the maidens aspiring for marriage wear
flowers on the heads, celebrate fertility.
Flower is sex, sexual communion in nature
love and romance, fertility and abundance
for all living beings, a healer,
a selfless sacrifice in unison in nature.
(27/11/2002)
((Flower Bazaar at Dadar, Mumbai is a landmark place. Though officially it is shifted to a new place about half a kilometre away, the place is still being used as a flower bazaar by hundreds of vendors who make their living sustainable. Read more on my blog ARCHETYPES INDIA in a coming post.)
~~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
is hiding its face in utter shame
under the carpet of discarded
faded yesterday’s flowers rising
a stinking aroma as the sun rises up.
They have no salvation and no way
of reaching ever the mother earth
to sustain life eternal, the destiny
denied by the high profile culture
in this flourishing metropolis.
Dirty soil is buried under the tar
layer – no way for a drop of water
to reach thirsty streams below –
as the sun comes up oozes vapour
in the golden city ruled by high culture.
Beside the flower-bazaar lays flesh-bazaar
flourishing spreading its infectious cult
on the high ways and in by-lanes
to other bazaars of hedonic tastes.
A plucked flower here is eye’s pleasure.
Flowers and flesh are graded and priced
from expensive orchid to cheap minor ones
according to affordability in fairness.
Calling the call-girls as sex workers
to honour the labour, the socially awakened
class absolves itself of cultural taboos
and makes way for them to the altar
of progressive newfangled civilisation.
Flowers are offered here to the idols –
the gods or leaders – among the moderns.
The orthodox tribes offer in worship
flowers with grasses ? gains ? leaves ? fruits;
their women who adorn vermilion and
the maidens aspiring for marriage wear
flowers on the heads, celebrate fertility.
Flower is sex, sexual communion in nature
love and romance, fertility and abundance
for all living beings, a healer,
a selfless sacrifice in unison in nature.
(27/11/2002)
((Flower Bazaar at Dadar, Mumbai is a landmark place. Though officially it is shifted to a new place about half a kilometre away, the place is still being used as a flower bazaar by hundreds of vendors who make their living sustainable. Read more on my blog ARCHETYPES INDIA in a coming post.)
~~~~~~
© Remigius de Souza., All rights reserves.
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