Nothing much has been happening around here, just lots of studying and watching movies for mental breaks.
One of our last classes, Thai Arts & Culture, required us to create an art project reflecting the themes of Thai art. Some frequent themes are the shape of the lotus flower, curves and swirls and intricate designs that only a master of Thai art would be able to accurately depict. In fact, in Thailand the only way to become an "independent" artist is to serve under the tutelage of an older master. Even then, the master is only passing on his knowledge to the student--the student can never surpass his master.
So, I decided to create a poem (go figure!). The poem I created, which I have posted below, is written in what is called Pantoum form. The form is from the late 16th century. It takes the 2nd and 4th line of each stanza and uses those lines as the 1st and 3rd for the next stanza. The second to last and final stanza are an odd and complex combination of both the first stanza and some other stuff...
I chose this form to pay homage to the intricate nature of Thai art that is so highly venerated here. The poem itself turned out to be a dialogue among six characters. First is the Raconteur, which is just a fancy name for storyteller or narrator. The second in appearance is Mara, who is the satanic figure in Buddhist tradition. This demon god was the same who tempted Buddha with his three daughters under the Bo tree where Buddha reached enlightenment. The third is Siddhartha, which is Buddha's birth name. Then come the Cowering Skulls, and I will let you read into that yourself. Next is Father, who is the first person of the trinity and lastly comes the Son of Man.
My intention with the poem was to illustrate the horrifying, powerful and strategic evil I have encountered in my time in SE Asia. From there, I sought to critique the Buddhist ideal of a human with no desires and how this philosophy completely invalidates suffering in general. When the Son of Man comes in, he is meant to validate the suffering of us poor sinners by not only acknowledging it but suffering for and with us. Finally, I wanted to discuss God's intention to use our tired, doubtful souls to relieve the suffering and injustice seen in this world.
In presenting the poem to my fellow students, it was insight-fully mentioned that the poem gave a good summary of all we have be learning and wrestling with this semester. There are many more personal allusions to my experience here, but I have a paper to write and need to make this short. :)
I will say this, though: we have been asked many times to preform songs at random churches, and have since the beginning of the semester preformed Gungor's "Beautiful Things." Who knew that song would actually teach me so much this semester.
Without further ado:
Have you passed through
this night?
Raconteur:
Have you passed through this night?
With eyes wide open or half closed?
Is there anything left that is right?
Or is morality strictly imposed?
Mara:
With eyes wide open, half closed
I take, I deceive, I make bleed.
Morality is strictly imposed.
So what, for Truth, do I have need?
I take, I deceive, I make bleed.
Confidence is so easily lost…
So what, for Truth, do I have need?
Allegiance has a very cheap cost.
Confidence is so easily lost!
Preying on those with no defense,
allegiance has a very cheap cost.
Do I make no sense?
Preying on those with no defense,
those destitute, dismal dulls.
Does it make no sense,
to feed on their cowering skulls?
Raconteur:
Those destitute, dismal dulls.
The ones with no power and no luck.
To feed on their cowering skulls?
…They fall without having to be struck.
Siddhartha:
Those with no power, no luck,
Need not to lament.
They fall without having to be struck,
because they, on silly desire, depend.
Cowering
Skulls:
Need not lament, you say?!
Than you, I dare, take our place!
Because we, on ‘silly desire’ depend,
for us, there is no grace?
Father:
Than you, I ask, take their place.
Pass through the night wide awake.
For them, there is no grace,
unless the earth, for your blood, quakes.
Son
of man:
Pass through the night wide awake?
Of this, I am willing.
Unless the earth, for my blood, quakes
they’ve no chance to meet the King.
Of this, I am willing.
Hear, ye cowering skulls,
ye, who’ve no chance to meet the King:
Your demerits
will be null.
Hear, ye cowering skulls,
ye trembling and ye lost,
your demerits
will be null.
Though free, this has a high cost.
Ye trembling, ye lost,
my riches, neither silver or gold.
Though free, they have a high cost--
take heart, justice will come tenfold.
My riches, neither silver or gold,
but the power to expel fears.
Take heart, justice will be tenfold--
if you are my eyes and my ears.
The power to expel fears,
to count, by hand, the least of these.
If you are my eyes and my ears,
than suffering and chaos shall ease.
Cowering
Skulls:
To count, by hand, the least of these,
seems a task too great.
If injustice, suffering and chaos shall
ease
when will our darkness abate?
Son
of man:
Seems a task too great,
you say, with doubt lining your tongue.
When will your darkness abate?
When you and I are one.
Cowering
skulls:
We speak with doubt lining our tongues:
you would use those as simple as us?
When you and I are one,
we, too, can make beauty of dust?
…You would use those as simple as us.
We, who are easily distracted.
We, too, could make beauty of dust,
if only this nature were extracted.
Son
of man:
You, who are easily distracted,
you need not deny your heart.
If all this nature were extracted,
the desires I put inside you would also depart.
Cowering
skulls:
We need not deny our hearts, you say?
But this is all we know!
These desires
you’ve put inside us,
they gave us
many years of woe.
This is all we
know:
that love is but
a lie.
It gave us many
years of woe
and countless
laws to abide by.
Son of man:
Love is but a
lie?
No, you’ve not
seen pure Love.
The many laws you
abide by
are the chains
I’ve come to free you of.
No, you’ve not
seen pure Love.
For it comes
only from me.
The chains I’ve
come to free you of,
are the earthen
roots of the Bo tree.
Cowering
Skulls:
For it can only
come from thee?
If this indeed,
is true,
the chains
you’ve come to free us of
are weakened
only by you.
For it can only
come from thee!
There is plenty
left that is right!
If this, indeed, is true,
you have
passed through this night.
Copyright Lyric Hammond 2012
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