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poetry
Gert Strydom, 2 april 2015
Precious Jesus, take my hand (Rubiyat / Persian quatrain)
At one of the great precipices in life I do stand
and I ask: “omnipotent Jesus, take my hand,
lead me with Your great unending love
all the way to that blessed Beulah Land.
Gert Strydom, 2 april 2015
Paintings and painters that come alive to me
I
As if he could break time into pieces
Salvador Dali did bend watches
where one hangs over a branch and another
is over a bodily thing and its as if time jumps back
while everything gleams very bright
with the open landscape in the background
and only a branch and a cupboard in foreground
so as if the white sun is climbing golden over it
and he did wonder what Gala would think
did forget for moments about the painting
but that energy did have its own power,
he poured a glass of wine to have with his cheese and bread,
did wonder if she knows of his love?
And he did put his hat on his head.
II
He did put his hat on his head,
saw the light of God falling through the window
and it was more golden in colour than just white
where he was exhibiting light and shadows,
and from it depth did just appear by itself
and the face was glowing almost alive
and was totally free against the black background
while he was caught, seriously riveted
by the art coming from his fingers
and he did wonder if God at the creation
did stand back from His great works, was astounded
with the earthly dome
and before the master gleams an image that cannot perish
while he paints with opaque paint.
III
He paints with opaque paint
is busy with a water-colour
where he does sit in the sun at the back of the yard
and tell me about the course of events.
To my astonishment it’s a landscape
of a misty dark wood
where a couple are wandering
with a small road that meanders in its simplicity
Those later runs into gigantic trees
with bright flowers still fresh
with drops of dew and big splashes of sunshine
that burst hot through at some places
with drops hanging on the trees on the bright day;
while the whole world is laughing at him.
IV
While the whole world is laughing at him
its as if God Himself is taking his hand
in every line, every colour that splashes down
while everybody does not care about his art,
not even the great beauty of the starry night
and when he paints sunflowers his tears are flowing
when voices, people do stain his life
and he paints the most beautiful things,
perfect picture upon perfect picture
and its as if he is expecting nothing that is good,
the darkness grows in his soul while he dresses,
when he chops off his ear, does disfigure his face
and tired he stands alone against a force majeure
when my eyes do enter that sombre room.
V
When my eyes do enter that sombre room
it feels as if I was walking on the cool wooden floor,
and about this painting he maybe is shy
as if it is personal when I walk closer.
The small table next to the bed is loaded
with painted clay pots, a bottle of wine and a glass,
paintings hang on the walls almost up to the ceiling
while light comes in through the yellow curtains
that brings warmth to the earthly room,
the purple walls do stand out
along with the bright red blanket of the small bed
and I cannot understand any gloominess
while I see him stuck in his thoughts in a wheat acre
with the hot sun burning without any mercy.
VI
With the hot sun burning without any mercy,
he wears a straw hat to block the bright rays,
at times does shade his eyes with his big hand
and paints with masterly form and balance.
It is God’s wheat acres and cypress trees
that he becomes aware of there in front of the mountain,
monsters that suddenly appear like in dreams
do come as great storm clouds in the sky
with two bushes and some tress half blown to a side
the wheat acre is so yellow, the seed so ripe
that in his fingers he can turn the grains of wheat out
and against the bright light he has to close his eyes
while the wind blows where he is painting and at times it does annoy him
and alone I see a figure standing, minutely small.
VII
Alone I see a figure standing, minutely small
against the catastrophic evil that waits like a lightening bolt
that is ready to bash down, but is still hidden
while a unearthly texture or something is breathing in your neck
and its as if total destruction is waiting,
is focused on everything living,
is hidden in a somewhat evil power
that wants to strike as a kind of judgement
in that forbidding environment,
as if the mountain is going to exploded in mere moments,
in lava or with a earthquake
will bring everything back to pieces of dust
and there is evil jumping out of the painting
as if he could break time into pieces
[The paintings: I: “The Persistence of Memory” by Salvidor Dali, II: Ectched Self-portrait of Rembrandt with his hat on by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, V: “Vincent’s Room” by Vincent Willem Van Gogh. VI: “Wheat Fields and Cypress Trees” by Vincent Willem Van Gogh. VII: A landscape by Hercules Pieterszoon Seghers]
Satish Verma, 2 april 2015
FIRST WORDS
Tie the knot with my mortgaged life –
I have started the self-descent.
Don’t leave me alone –
I have to unload some debts.
It was very disturbing. I have again forgotten
my alphabet and become illiterate.
Your consent is must
for starting a new journey.
I am neither afraid, nor worried
but fever is rising, like a flood
and ridge was collapsing.
The death was unknown to me –
it will come one day as a guest
and stay with me forever.
Times have rattled me enough
and sword hangs from the roof.
Why do I dream such?
The dichotomy between gold and lies
will start one day. I cannot go back
to my dilapidated house where I met the first words.
mvvenkataraman, 1 april 2015
Prayer and Courage Bring an Advantage
Complete equanimity is needed
Wrong words mustn't be uttered
Let wise people's advice be heeded
Any situation can be thus bettered
To God, Justice can be pleaded
By God, evils will be surely fettered
Courage must be exercised
Rage must be fully exorcised
Even a sage may be criticized
If calmness is strictly maintained
Problems get by themselves solved
If bold attitude is attained
A difficulty is half-solved
If honestly one has strained
To help, God would have resolved.
mvvenkataraman
Satish Verma, 1 april 2015
DIG THE FLOOR OF THE MOON
A fear stalks me on the road.
Sun was very aloof and cold.
Cannot stop the decline,
give me prayers of your lips.
You talk of dark children dying
when I was losing consciousness.
Will not question the ink of death
or silence of night.
The random greed of man walks
in golden ruins without listening.
I am counting my years wasted
in pursuit of crazy dreams of climbing a watchtower.
Hunger had become a great teacher.
Pain becomes a face. Limbs and shadows
seek justice after rape and murder.
Something seeps in me. Wounds bleeding
on my hands, I dig the floor of the moon
where God was sleeping.
George Krokos, 31 march 2015
Simple Observation 121 - To look about and find fault with....
To look about and find fault with the world blaming God is so easy
but to look within ourselves and eliminate the real cause is queasy.
___________________________________________
George Krokos, 31 march 2015
Simple Observation 119 - Where true love abounds...
Where true love abounds there the heart is awake
and one can really experience love for love’s sake.
________________________________________
George Krokos, 31 march 2015
Quatrain 138 - Great surely is the gift....
Great surely is the gift that bestows knowledge to you
and greater still if it guides one on the path that's true.
That person who has knowledge is the one of real worth
and worthier still if it is wisdom beyond this human birth.
____________________________________________
George Krokos, 31 march 2015
Quatrain 137 - The best things in life...
The best things in life are said to be free
and that money doesn't grow on any tree.
But then what has this got to do with either you or me?
when this life includes all things making up our reality.
________________________________________
George Krokos, 31 march 2015
Collecting Pebbles
It was from the sands of a windswept beach
I picked up pebbles that were easy to reach.
They had attracted my attention while walking by
their coloured well formed shape caught the eye.
There were so many to choose from I had to decide
in selecting those which my fancy would coincide.
It’s truly amazing what some people see in stone
a subject which a lot of our imagination is prone.
It was almost as if I’d found treasure on the seashore
and couldn’t help myself as I looked around for more.
The simple joy of collecting something that attracts the mind
is an age old activity which all people do have of some kind.
There were the questions of how many would I take
and what, if anything with them, one could make?
They were so abundant and all varied mostly in size
that it wasn’t hard to imagine an object or visualize.
It was also only the first location at which I found
that I thought surely there must be others around.
So with a sense of adventure I looked forward to explore
another beach while making my way home along the shore.
There were several other stops made further on the way
collecting various coloured pebbles amidst the sea spray.
Many times would I get my sandals wet along that coast
going amongst rocks and sand to the waters edge at most.
It was with a sense of gain and loss then after I’d taken enough
deciding right there and then to stop collecting which was tough.
The next step would be to think about and see what I would do
with all those beautiful pebbles gathered while passing through.
Maybe I could approach someone with the right flair and skill
who could make something with them and imagination fulfill.
That natural forming eroding action of water, ice, wind and sand
rarely requires the finishing touches of some other skillful hand.
Perhaps in fashioning some jewellery using metal to bind
a few pebbles together that are different or a similar kind.
Or maybe I could just keep some myself and give the rest away
a gesture of friendship toward which our memories would play.
Yes, it was from the sands of many a windswept lonely beach
I came across and collected pebbles that were within reach.
Isn’t it truly amazing what some people see in stone?
a subject in which much of our imagination is prone.
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Latest comments:
21 november 2025
violetta
Och życie też przykuwa uwagę na coś niemądrego:)
21 november 2025
Piękne podziwianie:)
21 november 2025
Piękny
21 november 2025
Jaga
Takie sny na długie zimowe noce :)
21 november 2025
To jest rajska jabłoń, odmiana Czerwona Piękność,
21 november 2025
sam53
czy to nie berberys?
21 november 2025
Ja też, więc szybko zdjęłam, by utrwalić
21 november 2025
Dziękuję Wioletto :)
21 november 2025
Bezpowrotne boli bardziej.
20 november 2025
Śliczne igiełki:)
20 november 2025
Uwielbiam takie cuda:)
20 november 2025
wtedy radość podwójna :))
21 november 2025
wiesiek
20 november 2025
wiesiek
20 november 2025
Jaga
19 november 2025
Jaga
19 november 2025
ajw
17 november 2025
wiesiek
16 november 2025
wiesiek
15 november 2025
Jaga
14 november 2025
wiesiek
13 november 2025
Jaga