I am glad to contribute these poems, written during my visit to Chongqing, China, in May 2004, to Seeker which encourages an exchange of ideas across the boundaries of race, religion, language, and nationalities. Every poem is a rendition, a translation of the feelings and emotions and ideas and thoughts into the expressions of a particular language of a particular being that is born into a particular linguistic community or 'made' to use it for some reasons. Poetry's long journey has not been checked by the progress of the prosaic. In Sanskrit, it has been said that good prose is the measure of a poet's power of expression. So prose has its own immense value but the prosaic is soul-destroying. There is an urgent need today to save our souls. There is a need today to sing the sorrows and joys of the soul translating them into a voice that sounds human and to share our feelings and thoughts as human beings and to think, to live, to fight and to die productively once after we are born into a human shape with a language to feel, to see, to speak and to compose our history as human beings.
1.
Buddha's sermons
in stones
for making
the souls move –
yesterday we
had tea
together sitting up
in the lounge
before we
parted to tread
our diverse paths
with a common goal
to experience
a semblance
in diversity
of stone carvings
stories are repeated
in the tropes
of differences
raindrops falling
with devotion
on earth
wells of emotion
rise up
a lotus
comes into being
in full
bloom
the mother is
followed by a
daughter on
the steps of
emotion
and
duty
2.
t h o u s a n d s
of hands
surrounding the
serene head
of a benevolent Buddha
carvings of
fertility Buddha
laughing Buddha
arranged on shelves
for the visitors
in Dazu
in rain and wind
umbrellas of multicolour
climbing up and down
today many
heard stones
speak silently
with their own
silent voices
beating against
their footsteps
climbing up and
down the rock-cut
stairs of
longevity
good luck
power
prosperity
sacrifice
suffering
climbing up and
down the rock-cut
stairs on
the cliffs of Baoding
in Dazu
today many
heard their
voices mingling
silently
with the silent
sermons in stone
and the sounds
of their footsteps
touching the chords
of their souls
gently
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Dazu: Dazu County (160 km to the west of Chongqing) in Sichuan Province in China famous for carved stone figures relating mainly to Buddhism.
3.
the wheel
is carved suspended
in Time's teeth
the wheel of eternity
human is one stage
a step towards
a step into
and a step out of
time and space
nirvana
freedom from life
and death
from suffering
and waiting
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Nirvana:(in Buddhism) Perfect bliss and release from Karma, attained by the extinction of individuality.
4.
standing to pose--------------------------------------
before Guo Moruo
and again
before Bing Xin
and again
i stand before one
to catch a moment
between two statues
crossed by crowds
at Chaotianmen square
the woman is
looking at
her children
undisturbed
by
the crowd
Guo Moruo(1892-1978): A famous poet, playwright, paleographer, historian, prolific translator, cultural statesman from Sichuan Province, China.
Bing Xin(1900- 1999): A famous Chinese poetess, essayist, short story writer, author of children's literature, translator of Tagore and Khalil Jibran.
5.
overlooking Yangtze
people sitting around
a round table
from different worlds
elegant deft fingers
on a gloved palm
snails picked out
into the mouth
delicious!
smiles
of a culture shock
shudder the table
and the items of different
dishes start revolving again
we come down
and get into
the bus to go up
the highest point
in Chongqing
to see
the beauty
of the city
at night
stars glisten
from beneath the smooth
wet sheets of
Yangtze and Jialing
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Yangtze and Jialing: Two important rivers in Sichuan Province.
6.
(For my wife)
on a
journey away
from you to
a f a r a w a y
place from you
i admire your
magpie-packing and
insistence to see
the unforeseen you
saved me from shabbiness
of appearance
and the fate forced me
to face the reality
in that scholarly assemblage
of Yu
where i travelled to be
better than
myself to be
face to face
with my self
stripped of abundance
i have been used to
where
you were
within me:
the tranquil face
of a Buddha
in Dazu
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Yu: the local name of Chongqing
Letter to the Author: Anil K. Prasad