Song of an aborigine in our times

By Remigius de Souza

Image 1: Bhills celebrate Holi Festival

In our ancestral Land and Waters
I am not a residue or a by-product,
of this monstrous civilized chaos
that challenges at every breathing
the honour and dignity of humanity.

We aren’t depressed or dejected
by our lack of wants; for us
Life rises above all artefacts.
Every breath is indeed an occasion
in deed for celebration
of Life forever to Rejoice

despite the chaos around so base.
It falls free at its own equations
and impositions, the notorious
and famous; all are about to be
washed off in time through
the floodgates of anonymity.

I assure you of my loyalty
to reach back in antiquity —
our spirits are ready to spring
O, my kinsfolk, in aboriginality.

Image 2: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance

Image 3: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance

 

NOTES:
Image 1: Bhill aborigine tribe celebrate Holi Festival
Image 2 and 3: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance at time of maize crop gets ready.
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Existence-Survival-Decoration: Painted Poem

I painted this poem in a state of mind that has no beginning - no end. This may be because of my wandering several places - cities, towns, villages, aborigine settlement in forests. Besides I was born and brought in a village in Konkan region, west coast of India, in my formative years. I wandered with purpose, without purpose, without any blinkers of caste - class, religions, culture, ideals, goals, civilised values, likes-dislikes; even to this date.

During one of these days of wanderings, this painted poem, materialized in 1985, (I didn't even record the date). In such a state the dimensions of time-work-speed-place-space are secondary. I wonder if this "painted poem" fits aesthetics of arts and letters? I doubt if it could be called art or a poem. I am sure it dosn't fit in any compartments created by civilised society, though the words seem familiar!

Not only this, but I doubt, if I could be called an artist in an accepted sense. But this need not block any one from self-expression!

While the graphic is fixed, the words are fluid. One may read it top down, or bottom up. The interpretations may vary with every person.

(World Environment Day: 05-06-09)
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LCM-8: A great epoch flies at a tangent…

LCM-8: A Great Epoch flies at a Tangent

The process to find “Least Common multiple” (LCM) in the arithmetic of practical living does not end here, but continues. It is simple because the “means and end” are one and the same; I am the means and I am the end; there are no intermediaries, no rituals, no rites, or age-gender-status bar. It is unconditional.

2
The search stumbles upon it: the epoch of the Industrial Society flies at a tangent… to nowhere, or perhaps, a limbo, because of its audacity and arrogance. At an elementary level the tangent is rooted and established, not in the ancient times, but in the beginning of civilised societies. It goes with same conventions, their meanings and sources, in times and places, with local variations in form, context and content. It seems Civilization has not come of age yet.

3
For example, In Indic civilisation there has been concepts such as, four ends (or goals) of life (for man): “dharma” (religion), “artha” (wealth), “kama” (wants and desires, also sexual desire) and “moksha” (salvation or liberation). How do these survive and now beeing practiced in real life is only a matter of speculation for the collective, and introspection for an individual among the faithful in today's fractured society.

4
Epochs after epoch have come with new bottle for old wine (of feudal power); in the modern times the driving force of the tangent wants to bend even Nature by its tantrum. Then what about Darwin, Freud, Marx, Gandhi? Eugenics is already on the agenda.

5
Like any civilised society, Indic civilisation also established the social division of labour and hierarchy in four varnas: “brahmanas” (priests and teachers), “kshatriyas” (kings, warriors and administrators), “vaishyas” (traders), and “shudras” (who provide service to members of the other three varnas). In the course of time shudras were attached with the stigma of untouchable. Over millennia these varnas or castes have incresed in numbers of castes, sub-castes, sub-sub castes, like ameaoba, or in contemparary times, like the specialised services in the industrial socity, which is already reaching a decadant state.

6
Now in India, and perhaps elswhere also, new hybrid-castes are emerging, among rulers, professionals, pimps etc. Some call them dynasties. Well, they too, like hybrid culture gain seeds, don’t last more than a couple of generations. Because the volatile market forces create demands and supplies of new actors.

7
We don’t deny or accept any of them, and take a drop, or a jump, from the flying tangent down to Earth. The series on “LCM” does not claim to any hypothesis, or any theory, any discovery, or theology. It does not guarantee any salvation in this life or after Death.

8
Despite the destruction of their autonomous functions – work, leisure, health, learning and propagation – granted by Nature; despite the destruction of natural environment-ecology-energy on which all the living beings sustain; despite denial of food-shelter-clothing that are facilitated for all living beings by Nature, the millions/ billions continue their struggle to sustain, and fight the invisible terror: This is the mainstream India/ world. Could the Nature’s Law be restored? It is not a matter of mass movement, or any Charter by the UN, but only by internal realization and change.
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(Links to Previous Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature, 3. WORK - Breaking the Mind Block, 4. Leisure - Perpetual Crave for Rest, 5. LCM-5: HEALTH - Forgotten Nature Within and Outside, 6. LCM-6: Learning to Learn,
LCM-7: PROPAGATION or Survival of the Species



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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.