{ Sujata Bhatt: A Different History. }

[delga]

A Different History.
by Sujata Bhatt.

Great Pan is not dead;
he simply emigrated
          to India.
Here the gods roam freely,
disguised as snakes or monkeys;
every tree is sacred
and it is a sin
to be rude to a book.
It is a sin to shove a book aside
          with your foot,
a sin to slam books down
          hard on a table,
a sin to toss one carelessly
          across a room.
You must learn how to turn the pages gently
without disturbing Sarasvati,
without offending the tree
from whose wood the paper was made.

          2
Which language
has not been the oppressor's tongue?
Which language
truly meant to murder someone?
And how does it happen
that after the torture,
after the soul has been cropped out
of the conqueror's face -
the unborn grandchildren
grow to love that strange language.

--

It is 1600 and there is still light outside. This makes me feel much better.

Comments

[twincy.livejournal.com]

Respect for trees!

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I think you have a TREE FETISH that needs addressing, twince.

[twincy.livejournal.com]

Maybe not a fetish, but definitely a fixation. I want to BE one.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

This should surprise me more, and yet... no, nothing.

[twincy.livejournal.com]

Perchance because I've mentioned it before!

I've spent the day doing various administrative things, i.e. filing a change of address at fifty zillion different places. Joy!

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

[twincy.livejournal.com]

Well, me too. Have you read any Kerouac? I'm at chapter 5.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

[twincy.livejournal.com]

!!! New CM! I have that. I should watch that.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

Also, the lyrics to Paper Kitten Nightmare go "Miaow, miaow, miaow; miaow, miaow-miaow". !!!

[twincy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and it goes on for AGES. IRRITATING. My least favourite off the album. Also: turns out I already knew On A Freezing Chicago Street! Poss. it's on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack?

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I just find it RANDOM.

[noorie.livejournal.com]

oh, i like!

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

In our house, it's all about respecting the things that you own. And, well, it IS a sin, so, heh.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

That rhyme would be enough to scare me off! lols, *hugs*

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

!!! Enough devils already! lols.