A good friend sent me this poem: Reason and Passion, which struck a cord in me about how I'm interested in living my life. On another hand, I've lived near the sea all my life, and I have a feeling that sailing and surfing are in my near future.

One of my favorite poems from here is a translation by Longfellow, Dream Song (Ojibwa). I find that a lot of Longfellow's translations speak to me, and recently, while on a trip thru Navaho Country for the first time, some of these poems struck me in ways I havent yet processed. The hawks in particular, who dance on thermals, who look and live in the sun-places -- there might be another totem of sorts in my life.

Gayatri Mantra is another favorite. You see, my name means something rather powerful. I'm not just beautiful, but important. Even though a woman is traditionally not supposed to hear this, I got to hear my father whispering this into my brother's ear during his thread ceremony during July of '96.

Poetry Corner is a neat place, if you like poetry, its a time sink.

A new site I found with some great barefoot poetry from South Africa....check it out!

I'm still looking for a good poem to describe what a good friend is to me. The one by Caroline Norton, "with all we've been through, shall a light word part us?" really hits home. I'm a product of my culture, and the more I realize it, the more I understand why I feel so alien in a culture that seems to support throwaway relationships. I recently re-read Emerson's essay on friendship and am struck again how small things mold us.

in his essay, Emerson says:

I believe that I need to forgive people their inability to be what I believed them to be, but more importantly, that I need to be strong enough to forgive myself. I think this process might take me the rest of this lifetime. There are a few people that I'd like to be able to say, "Let's both forgive, forget, for both were blind,", but most of the time, you don't get that sort of closure and learn to move on. This brings me to a new author I hadn't read before, and a poem called "Polarity". Take a look at Harlem Shadows

I fell in love at first sight, once, a long time ago, with someone who is still in and out of my life, is brought to mind by I Met At Eve by Walter de la Mare. While I do not think he ever wore lavender, he does have a still and lovely face. He is indeed, a prince that captured my soul the moment my eyes met his.

Have you ever loved someone, both in the mad deeply passionate sense, with all your soul, heart and body, and in the sense that hir happiness is as important to you as you own? I've had a couple of people in my life like this. I count many of them still as friends. One of the things I've always been honoured to do is to wake up next to the people I've loved... there is always a quiet stillness in watching them lay beside you and breathe... there are countless mornings I cherish in this way.

Sonnet XLIII by Elizabeth Barrett Browning might be a little trite, but when I love someone, this is how I want to love them, freely, purely, with passion and with all my soul.

Sometimes, out of joy, I write about people who've touched me -- a little redbird was kind to me when my heart was so sore it almost hurt to touch someone else.  Her voice is indeed the colour of a robin's breast.

And even then, sometimes, all you have is a kiss.

Sept. '96, I got to see Patrick Stewart at the Hollywood Bowl, and as an encore he recited this Shakespeare sonnet. I was entranced.

Given my interest in traveling and just being aware of life around me, I've always liked Song by John Donne. But, I don't agree with Donne's idea that there aren't any true or fair women in the world. I know quite a few.

This Link Goes to a Poem that I found on SawNet, an email list for South Asian Women. My family comes from Asia, and I was born in India, but grew up here in the USA with all of the issues and concerns that's brought up - being a first generation immigrant.

For my Sweetie... Robert Browning sometimes says it rather well. Will you? Forever is a long time, and I think I mean it when I say, forever. I think as time takes us apart from each other in distance, there is no manner of distance that could possibly sever our friendship.

Years ago, I wrote a poem, after passing by the Piranha Tank... Sushi Another one that I like alot, came about after someone gave me some jasmine flowers from their garden, this poem came to mind as well as memories of my grandmother's garden, in India, in 1983 - where I'd sit under the jasmine tree, eating banana's and reading comics as the sun would go down, and the flowers would bloom. Even now, the scent reminds me of warm nights and lovely visions.

 Given that a favorite english teacher loved Dickinson, and we almost ruined it by pointing out many of her poems can be sung to the "Yellow Rose of Texas", I still like them...Because I could not stop for Death was the one that I always remember.

I also write things. I'm not disciplined enough to write more then snippets. Here is a recurring dream I've had, which is a dream within a dream.

 Bragging about my cat Cleo, who's kind of a cute furry meatball.

Got any comments on my taste in poetry? send me email! gayathri@world.std.com 

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Contact the author at gayathri@world.std.com with inquiries.