The concert grand stands indifferently
in a palatial room built to house it;
Hardly anyone spends time here,
admiring frescoes and French lace,
worn Italian club chairs gather
in around no one, empty opulence
marking privilege of the lost
and missing inhabitants;
Halfway around the world,
a bustling marketplace explodes
with the din and stench
of the streets, sweat mingling
with rotting vegetable matter
and the smell of human desperation;
gnarled hands of laborers place goods
in the manicured hands of tourists,
a toothless smile exchanging empty symbols
for a better life, benediction
of the Foreigner whose life is inconceivable
as a spaceship from Mars;
Who can fathom choices, freedom the elusive
butterfly in a garden which must be tended
by honest sweat and toil which,
in the opulence of the parlor, slips quietly
into shadow like the ghostly curtain remnants
hanging limply on patterned walls.
Wonderful Bela. “freedom the elusive butterfly” has occupied Tubularsock’s mind a lot recently.
Much to contemplate here. Now where did Tubularsock put his morning sake?
😳 haha! Anyhow, thanks TS! Freedom begins in the mind/heart, in my experience. Despite all the craziness out there, I feel quite liberated here in the middle of nowhere! 🙏💃🎉
A poet with coyotes as friends howling at the moon does have an advantage in life, indeed. True liberation.
Isn’t it? 😉
A trip around the globe … touching on areas that are important. Always coming back to the here and now.
Which here? Which now? And wondering if it is important .. or not 💛
Good points, Val. For we can only truly exist in the now. The here and now at the time this post was written was in Hawaii with a group of multicultural women. One Tongan, two Chinese Hawaiians, two Anglos. I still write with these women, have done so for many years.
Sometimes, because we write Renshi style, it is difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. And because I have traveled and witnessed what I write about, it tended to pull all of that experience into this poem. Also because there really is not linear time except that we agree that it is so, the here and now transcends the constraints of time and perceived space. In the end, we are all one. And one day I hope to see more equality in our world. 🙏💕
May we all reach this mezzanine of perspective and understanding as we step into a larger dimension and truly embrace each other 💕
What beautiful sentiments! Thank you! 💜
Not just the choices but the chance that gives each person their life circumstances. More questions than answers. (K)
You know, Kerfe, That occurred to me as well as I was writing the piece. As it was with a group of women, I didn’t have time to really expand on it much. I shared it here as I wrote it. And one has to wonder, indeed, where chance and choice meet at the crossroads of life. It seems to work better for some than for others.
Thanks for your comments. 🙏❤️
It does. I am one of the lucky ones. Why? It may be there is no answer to that question.
Agreed!
Your poem speaks about some foreign experience Bela. I can see how enriching it is that evokes such lovely poetry. Enjoy wherever you are!
Thanks, Balroop! It’s been an interesting life, so far!🙏❤️
Lovely poem, Bela.
Thank you! 🙏
Ethereally beautiful Bela.
Many thanks, Shakti! 🙏
I love the juxtaposition in the first and second stanzas, Bela. Where one place is quiet, another is bustling. Where one place is forgotten, another place is alive and perhaps thriving with life or desperation as you alluded to. Like one of the commenters, I also like how you used ‘Who can fathom choices, freedom the elusive butterfly in a garden which must be tended’. Much to think about these days where life is a struggle for many for different reasons. It sounds like you are doing well and that is great. Stay sane and safe 😊
Thank you, my friend. I think life has long been a struggle for too many people in this world. A redistribution of resources really is in order. I think we will see some things we never thought we’d see in our lifetimes. Chris heard me txt speaking and said, ‘We already have! So it stands to reason …’ Yes. And more coming.
Doing well, thank you! Hoping the same for you. 💜💕❤️
It will be strange and different times ahead, and it will be interesting to see how societies adapt. Let’s see what lies in store. All is good over here ❤️
Glad to hear! And yes, strange and different. Hoping for greater parity 🙏💕
Have a good week, Bela 💕
Thanks, Mabel! You as well! 💜