It's midnight and I haven't slept in two days. I decided to apply to three graduate schools before my trip to India. The good news is that my portfolio is finished and my applications are sent. The bad news is that I haven't chanted for two days.But soon I will board that glorious flower airplane and far away I will be delivered into the loving arms (or on the loving feet-Vaishnava stylee) of the holy dhama. I pray that I may diligently peel my eyes off this cold computer screen and absorb my everything into the nectarian mellows of Lord Caitanya and His eternal pastimes in Sri Mayapura Dhama. Posts from now on will be few and far between. From mid-November till early March, I will be studying in great detail The Bhagavad Gita, Sri Isopanisad and The Nectar of Instruction, three ancient Sanskrit texts glorified in the Vaishnava tradition as being the essence of all the Vedas and explaining the essence of all religions.
So without further adieu, I say good-bye my friends. I love you all dearly. Winter is coming and it is time for me to retreat, for the real work begins. I'll leave you with some poetry by Radika Prabhu, perhaps one of the most far out women I have ever met. Will we be reunited on the banks of Radha Kunda on a distant, winter morning? "I've heard it said:Knee-deep in the waters of JamnajiYour Palace of pastimes:Pray may I raise the skirts of my unbeliefand attain the Palace of Faith.""I've heard it said:Knee-deep in the waters of JamnajiYour Palace of pastimes:Pray may I raise the skirts of my unbeliefand attain the Palace of Faith."
"I've heard it said:
Knee-deep
Knee-deep
in the waters of Jamnaji
Your Palace of pastimes:
Pray may I raise
Your Palace of pastimes:
Pray may I raise
the skirts of my unbelief
and attain
and attain
the Palace of Faith."
- Radhika devi
- Radhika devi
2 comments:
No offense intended but here is some unsolicited advice.
One technique for assessing poetry is to read the last word in every line independent of the poem itself and evaluate if it is a strong or weak word.
Line breaks are better if they are on strong words.
"The" is considered a weak word.
If I may dare suggest, I would change this poem to instead read like:
"I've heard it said:
Knee-deep
in the waters of Jamnaji
Your Palace of pastimes:
Pray may I raise
the skirts of my unbelief
and attain
the Palace of Faith."
Which throws the shape of the poem off and maybe incite some further revision but that would be up to the poet.
Though the two short lines may be thought of as a visual echo of the idea of being knee deep.
I will now remove my nose from your business.
Though I must say it is a great image that I really enjoyed.
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