Sunday, December 30, 2012

Now, Speaking the Truth (New Poem)



Now, Speaking the Truth
by Tim Kavi

now, speaking the truth
life has in past times 
seemed easier
and sometimes 
it is so hard;
who can deny it?

yet, as long as there is injustice
as long as there's any hope of love

one cannot be silent
or tears will water the earth
and we must be born
many times in rebirth

gentle Guan Yin
you make me shine with your light
nothing can remain
in a distant night

all is plain
all is bright
revelation is the poetic
sight

there are those so mistreated
although they chant
your love entreated

I am talking about your sisters
Quan Yin
all around the Earth
longing for Freedom
to be treated as persons

they long to be
safe wherever they go
hold them close in your arms
or my tears cannot stop

I am sorry my Goddess
for many of my gender are a disgrace
I can only hope your love
lights this evil place

something must be done
Durga, shine the truth
Kali, try not to be too angry now

I try to hope our history
will end bright
so I write this poem crying

while all around us
Goddess, your sisters are dying

so my pitiful voice
is joined with brothers and sisters
in peace and for peace
who line the streets
Jantar Mantar

our clothes are black
and I say to you in power
we want our Freedom back!

Ma Durga, great mother
Isis, protector of children
save us before too late 
waves of your Goddess face

wash ashore
in the hearts of all
embraced by your grace

now, we speak the truth
we need you more than ever

this guilty Earth
longs to know only You
and the gentle love where

all rest in a peaceful fate.

Monday, December 24, 2012

New Poem: Lines of the Heart: A Message of Hope at Christmas


lines of the heart 
(a message of hope at Christmas)
by Tim Kavi

after the bare
moment of life
there are lines
lines of the heart

tiny beats that carry a promise
of a life that will grow

and even in the beginning of Winter
there is the birth of divinity
celebrated all over the world

beats of humanity
that in that birth is a hope
we all know

look inside you
lines of the human heart
are everywhere

in the hope of a child
to be loved and nurtured
and held

in the hope of a people
who long and sometimes struggle
to take unknown steps
to a new freedom

in the hope of families
to find each other again
even though miles
and life has chipped away
at the core of the love they knew

in the hope of love
direct utterances and declarations
of our greatest hope
to never be alone
but to be loved and affirmed
in the uniqueness of who we truly are

there are lines of the heart
connecting me and you
brother to brother
sister to sister
connecting us to experience

hurts and sorrow
joys in the morrow
to say to the chained
you are free

and to walk in
humanity's greatest hope

enduring peace
and freedom

in the true lines of the heart
a call to dialogue
and to a response
only to become

who we are all meant to be
unique and totally free

from the constraints of body
to the oneness of us

so that in those fading lights
there are still lines of the heart
on some ECG
and monitor

transcending
to another place
lit by grace

hope still beats
in the lines of the human heart.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

More About Goddesses: Ma Durga (Mahadevi), Warrior Goddess of the Hindu Tradition




More About Goddesses: Ma Durga
By Tim Kavi

Ma Durga, or the Durga mother, is the fierce form of the goddess Devi in the Hindu tradition. She is often associated with Mahadevi, the supreme goddess for her defeat of Mahishasura Mardini the buffalo demon. Ma Durga is frequently portrayed with multiple arms, which can be as many as eighteen in some interpretations. She is also frequently portrayed riding a tiger or lion or using weapons to slay demons as a show of her power. Many portraits relate the story of her victory over Mardini, showing her slaying him or holding off his forces as they attack.

The legend of Ma Durga first appears on the narrative of Devi Mahatmya within the text of the Markandeya Purana. According to legend, Ma Durga was created in the image of a warrior goddess to help fight the asura Mashishasura. The warrior gods were ineffective against this demon because Brahma had blessed Mashishasura with the power to be undefeatable at the hands of man or god. To counteract this magic, Shiva requested that his wife Parvati take on a role where she could take on this demon. While she called upon the priests at Vaikuntha, Shiva tried to hold off Mashishasura and his forces by combining the three lead gods and emitting a beam of light.

Though the gods were defeated, this light reached Parvati at Vaikuntha, alerting the gods here. To save the three worlds, they combined forces to create a new pool of light. From this light rose Ma Durga, the female aspect of Brahman, a lila that emerged from their combined energy and compassion.

As she moved forward to battle Mashishasur, he made the mistake of underestimating her power, thinking that a woman could not possibly defeat him after he had defeated a trinity of gods. To show his strength, he changed forms many times as he rampaged toward Ma Durga, appearing as a buffalo demon, an elephant, a lion and a man. Ma Durga is said to have gracefully defeated each of these forms. In his last charge, Mashishasur returned to his buffalo form, but became trapped between this and the form of a man. Laughing at his predicament, Ma Durga cut him down with her sword, ending the battle and cementing her compassion in the hearts of her followers.

According to some versions of the legend, Ma Durga raised an army to march against Mahishasur as he terrorized heaven and earth. This battle raged on for ten days before she took it upon herself to slay this demon king. As a reward for their good service, Ma Durga rewarded her troops with the knowledge for jewelry-making. Because of this gift, Ma Durga is frequently depicted in art pieces. She is often represented covered in stones and jewels, even in scenes which act out the tale of her decapitating the buffalo demon. This act of bravery and compassion is also worshiped widely in many parts of the Himalayan region and throughout India, especially during the ten day period when the battle was said to have commenced.

Poet's Afterword: The Hindu Goddess Ma Durga is in a number of my poems, and in a couple of blog entries here, she makes major appearances.  A related blog entry on Parvati is here. In one of Ma Durga's manifestations she is quite the warrior goddess (Mahadevi), which seems pertinent to mention, as this is also a theme in other More About Goddess columns that have featured Artemis and Athena  from the Greek tradition. ~~TK  P.S.--I love this song about Ma Durga on my YouTube Page by Krishna Das (I've seen it performed live!). Hope you enjoy!!~~TK

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

SubWay GoDDess (Story Poem)




SubWay
GoDDess

a story poem

by Tim Kavi



based on a true
encounter

on the subway
Line 11 Shanghai
somewhere between
Fengqiao Lu
and West Shanghai Railway
Station


I saw Her
a true Chinese Goddess
she glowed
like divinity
and smiled like a happy
Tara dancing
in the sundown
moments of a busy day

in her face
showed the happy promises
of a true beauty
in love with life

this incarnation
was a beautiful woman
and she looked away
like all are prone
to do

not to stare at a
foreigner
even though green
eyes are so different
when they are sparkling blue

but then she stared
and stared
at her reflection
in the subway
door--glassy windowed
reflections

revealed her beauty
from glory to glory
she primped her hair
adjusted her clothing
shifted from foot to foot

and smiled
like she was enlightened
anew
knowing something
the rest of us
never knew

I tried not to look
at her glory
not wanting to be blinded
by her light
only to face a lonely
Shanghai night

but I couldn't help looking
she was so pretty
I thought what girl is this
to look so long at her own reflections
and give herself a narcissistic kiss?
and so many smiles to herself?

soon the train
arrived at West Shanghai Railway Station
and I was struck with destiny
and evening undulations
as we both got off
having other trains to catch
to spiritual destinations

I drew nigh
and bravely spoke
Don't Worry, you are still
very beautiful
I said

She laughed
and turned and smiled
and said
I wasn't looking at me
but I was looking at you!

My face reddened
in realization
I too had been spied
looking in the glassy
reflections of encounter
Divine Revelation

And I speak English
she said
My name is Na
and I'm a famous writer!

I laughed
and She did too.

Saying, what's so funny?
I said, I'm a writer too
an infamous one!

we both laughed

and exchanged numbers
as we had other trains to
catch

but soon we chattered
and met each other
life now mattered

even in the subway lessons
of an encounter
Her love
rescued me

as I came to know Her
we often laughed
and smiled at the happy
destiny

that found
two hearts that had
been searching
riding to destinies untold

to find one; entwined
as love did enfold
in the eternal hereafter.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

ashes beneath the boots (new poem)





ashes beneath the boots
by Tim Kavi

marching triumphant
fists in air
you take the hill
overrun the square
but in your heart
is a vacant stare

You dismember
yourself
unmoved by human
compassion

there is only
your training
reduced to a number
your uniform
makes you look like
all the rest

you think you are
anonymous
so easily forgiven?
that only you will be blest?

that face shield
doesn't hide you
full metal jacket
you better carry
a long club

because someday
you will reap what you sow
brutal taskmaster

on the day
Freedom Rings
when the freed man sings
when women walk
the streets
no longer afraid

when you
and the hate of the old
ways are crumbled
stomped beneath our feet
as we peacefully walk
the freshly cleaned street

beneath my boots
I still see that You
who said I was not a person
has become all the ashes 
of a history not forgotten

while up ahead
precious souls
you once tormented
are dancing

in peace, at long last
in love with each other
and so very free.

Poet's Afterword:  another poem of protest which will be in my forthcoming collection 'Poems of Protest' by Tim Kavi. Long live freedom and love! ~~TK