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Re: Koli-kata - City of joy, city of pain

Cross-posted to 4 groups.

Followups directed to: soc.culture.indian, alt.fan.jai-maharaj, misc.writing

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On Sun, 9 Apr 2017, in soc.culture.indian, in article
<efd559b2-d96e-4373-92e8-eda6c4132044@googlegroups.com>,
Arindam Banerjee <banerjee...@gmail.com> posted:
> 
> On Tuesday, January 24, 1995 at 4:13:05 PM UTC+11,
> > Arindam Banerjee wrote:
> > 
> > I am happy to present my poem on a city some of us will know well.
> > I am also sure that I could not present it to a more discerning
> > audience.  
> > 
> > With regards to all,
> > 
> > Arindam
> > 
> > 
> > Koli-kata
> > 
> > by Arindam Banerjee
> > 
> > January 1995, Melbourne
> > (All rights reserved.  This work does not involve my employer
> > in any way, and all opinions are strictly mine.)
> > 
> > 
> > City of joy, city of pain,
> > Where politicians toy, atop skulls of slain:
> > Should I salute you
> > Or spit at you?
> > 
> > City of contradictions -
> > With strange predilections!
> > Are you stubborn or foolish,
> > Or simply devilish?
> > If I cannot love you,
> > Should I hate you?
> > 
> > City of kind hearts and cruel knives;
> > City of foolish men and faithful wives;
> > City of Tagore and communists;
> > City of straight roads and vicious twists....
> > 
> > Know that you are unknown.
> > Yes, you have no renown.
> > Save for slogans and slums, 
> > And rubbish and bums,
> > And overpopulation....
> > And pollution.....
> > 
> > Your roads are narrow;
> > They chill the marrow
> > Under political terror
> > Creating mindless horror....
> > 
> > A curse on the groaning buses!
> > And on the peeling houses!
> > And the stinking gutters
> > Below the crowded shutters!
> > 
> > Thus one may think.....
> > Before it begins to sink,
> > Through strange process,
> > From obscure recess
> > Of forgotten memory,
> > This strange story...
> > 
> > Of triumphant femineity,
> > Represented by divinity
> > Of Great Mother Kali:
> > City-goddess most ugly
> > To thieving imperialists
> > And tiresome materialists.
> > 
> > Kali coal-black, naked, female
> > Met one unseen idol: white, male.
> > This all-conquering god quailed;
> > His minions failed!
> > The result?  No more the dread -
> > Today a black boy lifts his head!
> > 
> > Thus, rising from lies and conceit,
> > And most organised deceit,
> > We may still present,
> > This city, most significant
> > For human affairs -
> > Let's not split hairs!
> > I am not talking
> > Of concrete and cars,
> > Nor hustlers stalking
> > In casinos and bars -
> > 
> > Those slaves to a system, meretricious and garish,
> > Whose chief and abiding product is rubbish;
> > Marionettes to interest rates;
> > Jerking in spasmodic states,
> > To calls of still-remaining humanity,
> > Buried in mechanical insanity...
> > 
> > Where you beyond being human,
> > But not yet completely inhuman -
> > Just an organisation,
> > In subtle fashion,
> > Of mechanical bits and numbers,
> > Conferring technological favours
> > Of comfort and convenience
> > For your fleshly parts...
> > Still, some remains of conscience,
> > Blurry though they be,
> > May make you see,
> > The blood of an Iraqi
> > When petrol gushes down your throat.
> > 
> > No!  No!  Not for tomorrow,
> > The pain of dumb sorrow,
> > Distilled from drinking death
> > Of nature's bounty, 
> > And life's beauty.
> > 
> > For me, at least, this city most noble
> > In qualities of heart;
> > Where teeming millions are able
> > To live as one great part,
> > That knows, that cares, that feels
> > The glory of being human!
> > The curse of being human!
> > The pride of being human!
> > The shame of being human!
> > 
> > To absorb from around the waves of sorrow,
> > From wretched humanity without tomorrow,
> > In so natural a way,
> > It takes your breath away -
> > When elsewhere you hear so much wrangling
> > Over money matters niggling...
> > 
> > And yet, and yet, the misery,
> > And the acceptance of the misery,
> > Beside the railway tracks,
> > Or on the pavements' cracks,
> > Before the single water pump,
> > Near the smelly rubbish dump.
> > Your grimy fingers wet eyes poke,
> > As coughing past choky smoke,
> > Pouring out of open chullas,
> > You walk past dirty nullas,
> > Fighting with millions for air...
> > Only in that, you get your equal share.
> > 
> > Why go on? 
> > Why go on?
> > Which morrow will bring,
> > News of some wonderful thing?
> > To what end,
> > This contrary trend?
> > 
> > It is here, it is here...
> > For ever, and ever, it is here...
> > As water vaporises,
> > This murmuring rises
> > From voices audible,
> > And voices inaudible...
> > From the stray cow's bold look;
> > Over the intellectual's dusty book;
> > From the twining plant's tenacious hold;
> > From the caring mother's scold;
> > From your million relatives all around -
> > Slightly crazed - but mostly sound.
> > 
> > It is here, it is here,
> > That you are not just tolerated,
> > Nor just accepted,
> > But liked and understood,
> > Known and found good,
> > For whatever you are,
> > Whoever you are.
> > Regardless of race
> > You have your place.
> > Away though wealth drains,
> > What is richest still remains.
> > The wise are honoured by many;
> > The poor have much merry company!
> > 
> > City unique, city unclean
> > You have no ugliness that is unseen.
> 
> Hmm, I wrote this some 22 years ago. As I remember,
> it aroused some hatred.
> Cheers,
> Arindam Banerjee

Have you written more stuff during the 22 years?

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://bit.do/jaimaharaj

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Re: Koli-kata - City of joy, city of pain alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj) - 2017-04-10 01:35 +0000

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