The Light of Asia
Friday, December 25, 2009
Edwin Arnold
One of my favorite British poets is Edwin Arnold, who is well known for his poetry about East Asian religions. "The Light Of Asia" is one of my favorites and can be read at Project Gutenberg. Enjoy!
The Light of Asia
The Light of Asia
Turn Your Dream Into a Poem, Part 2
With the notes from your dream in front of you, read them over and pick out any particular points you wish to emphasize in your poem. What you want to do is provide some type of lead-in at the beginning of your poem that will tell the reader this is based on a dream that you had. Poems based on dreams tend to have an ethereal quality to them which allows readers to experience and analyze what your dream may hold for you in terms of significance. As an example, see a segment from my poem below titled “The Perfect Real Estate” which appeared in the first issue of Aquapolis, June 2007:
The Perfect Real Estate
Heat coming out of the ground
wayward feet searching for the
right planet to land on
hopscotch from star to star
which family is the right one to join
not the one where your life
is behind your back
not the one where you
are significantly different
not the one where
they walk on their hands
all day long.
In this poem I draw from my own background experience which is integrated into the dream. After your lead-in is written down - and it can be anything from something to a mundane activity like going to the post office, to seeing a new work of art - you are ready to compose your poem. Once you integrate the notes from your dream, you want to establish continuity. This will not only keep your reader wanting to continue reading the poem, but also provide a tight story, regardless of how many elements of your dream are included. Since dreams in themselves tend to have a fantasy like quality to them, do not worry if your poem starts to seem unrealistic once you have composed it and read it over. Check your spelling for errors. Include punctuation where necessary, although you can include it in spots if you want to go the experimental route. If you wish, you can also include within the poem the actual date of your dream. Be creative and keep a record of your work so you can refer back to when you wrote it.
The Perfect Real Estate
Heat coming out of the ground
wayward feet searching for the
right planet to land on
hopscotch from star to star
which family is the right one to join
not the one where your life
is behind your back
not the one where you
are significantly different
not the one where
they walk on their hands
all day long.
In this poem I draw from my own background experience which is integrated into the dream. After your lead-in is written down - and it can be anything from something to a mundane activity like going to the post office, to seeing a new work of art - you are ready to compose your poem. Once you integrate the notes from your dream, you want to establish continuity. This will not only keep your reader wanting to continue reading the poem, but also provide a tight story, regardless of how many elements of your dream are included. Since dreams in themselves tend to have a fantasy like quality to them, do not worry if your poem starts to seem unrealistic once you have composed it and read it over. Check your spelling for errors. Include punctuation where necessary, although you can include it in spots if you want to go the experimental route. If you wish, you can also include within the poem the actual date of your dream. Be creative and keep a record of your work so you can refer back to when you wrote it.
The Perfect Real Estate, copyrighted by Julie Kovacs, 2007.
Zoroastrian poems
I thought I would share these with my readers:
The Sacred Fire
Sacred as the symbol of God
sacred as the symbol of the soul
the fire burns in the temple
and inside each of us
always waiting to be ignited
by the active force of Ahura Mazda
that leads us to doing the Good Will on earth.
Right thought, right word, and right deed
is communicated by the divine flame
that directs us through the Good Mind.
There is nothing better than building
paradise on earth to overcome
that which is destructive to creation.
Seeking a positive way of life
with the One who is the creator of the universe
the mind, heart, and soul
becomes the one goal for each human.
Yalda
Sitting around the warm stove
with a wool blanket tucked in my lap
I listen to the poetry of Hafiz being recited
by the man sitting opposite me
while a plate of samanu and oranges
is passed on to me.
The sun is waiting to rise
above the horizon
on the longest night of the year
when darkness ceases to overtake
the earth,
swallowed up by time
when light finally triumphs.
Six pomegranate seeds are consumed
by each of us, the sweet and slightly tart flavor
reminding us how the earth slowly warms
under the snowy mountains.
On the day Mithra is born
the earth witnesses peace and happiness,
waiting for the new life to spring forth.
Heaven on Earth
Eyes raised to the sun
standing with hands outstretched
holding the sacred prayer cord
invoking the name of Ahura Mazda
establishes sanctity and peace on earth
in one's life
in one's family
in one's homeland
where the faithful work diligently
whether for money or not
service to humankind
brings closer together
the harmony required
for prosperity to exist
on earth.
All poems have been reprinted with permission of the author, Mary Thatcher. These originally appeared on Associated Content/Yahoo Contributor Network.
The Sacred Fire
Sacred as the symbol of God
sacred as the symbol of the soul
the fire burns in the temple
and inside each of us
always waiting to be ignited
by the active force of Ahura Mazda
that leads us to doing the Good Will on earth.
Right thought, right word, and right deed
is communicated by the divine flame
that directs us through the Good Mind.
There is nothing better than building
paradise on earth to overcome
that which is destructive to creation.
Seeking a positive way of life
with the One who is the creator of the universe
the mind, heart, and soul
becomes the one goal for each human.
Yalda
Sitting around the warm stove
with a wool blanket tucked in my lap
I listen to the poetry of Hafiz being recited
by the man sitting opposite me
while a plate of samanu and oranges
is passed on to me.
The sun is waiting to rise
above the horizon
on the longest night of the year
when darkness ceases to overtake
the earth,
swallowed up by time
when light finally triumphs.
Six pomegranate seeds are consumed
by each of us, the sweet and slightly tart flavor
reminding us how the earth slowly warms
under the snowy mountains.
On the day Mithra is born
the earth witnesses peace and happiness,
waiting for the new life to spring forth.
Heaven on Earth
Eyes raised to the sun
standing with hands outstretched
holding the sacred prayer cord
invoking the name of Ahura Mazda
establishes sanctity and peace on earth
in one's life
in one's family
in one's homeland
where the faithful work diligently
whether for money or not
service to humankind
brings closer together
the harmony required
for prosperity to exist
on earth.
All poems have been reprinted with permission of the author, Mary Thatcher. These originally appeared on Associated Content/Yahoo Contributor Network.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
My first short story published!
I am very happy to announce that my very first short story has been published by The Pepper Tree. The title of my story is: "The Baby Princess."
The Pepper Tree Magazine
This is a story about a baby princess who a king from long ago adopts as his own.
More information about the publication at:
The Herald Tribune
The Pepper Tree Magazine
This is a story about a baby princess who a king from long ago adopts as his own.
More information about the publication at:
The Herald Tribune
A huge thank you to all of my supporters!
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