Category: word art

REFUGEEING

Across the western world people are disconnecting from each other and their own nations. Rome’s great poet of the natural world, Vergil, (he was more famous for his patriotic epic poetry but wanted that work burnt after his death) dealt with this theme of disconnection right across his career. “Nos patriam fugimus” (literally : “we flee our fatherland/motherland”) was the start of the third line of his first surviving poetic work.

In my case, in the twenty-first century, ridiculous contempt for my life’s work destroyed my capacity to function “normally” in the country of my birth.

A new social contract is needed.

Geoff Fox, 7th January, 2020, Down Under, a.k.a. Terra Nullius

In Two Minds: Conscientious Life

This is a transcreation from the Indonesian language poem “Kebebasan”.

Poet Maman A Majd Binfas sees how freedom and the discipline of conscience are essential to living well.

The nanny states of The West take this away from people.

Geoff Fox, 30th December, 2020, Terra Nullius

In Two Minds: FREEDOM

I feel a great affinity for the capacity of Indonesian poet Maman Majid Binfas to bring together different ideas and make them work.

In Indonesian language the concept of Kemerdekaan as freedom in the political context and Kebebasan as freedom in the personal context are two very different ideas. In his poem “Kebebasan” Maman unifies the two different ideas.

The above art work is a transcreation of the first lines of the poem where he uses God as the link.

Praise the Lord for the gift of freedom.

Geoff Fox, 29th December, 2020, Down Under

War or Peace? Which side are we on? ……. Which side am I on?

I wonder to myself whether or not we men need to be warriors or peaceniks. Answering this must start individually.

After 3 decades as a peace loving midwife, I now  find myself as a 63 year old white man surprised to be becoming a bit of a warrior against misandry.

Thats not where my roots are but it is where I am.

I did not seek the gender war I find myself in …….. but I am not retreating.

Geoff Fox, 6th December, 2020

From Mark Twain – Irreverence and Liberty and Donald Trump

In 1863 Mark Twain (born on November 30 in 1835) wrote: ” ……. we glorious Americans will occasionally astonish the God that created us when we get a fair start.”

With his ability to cut through and communicate to conservative America Donald Trump shows an irreverent ability to maintain his own free spirit which much of the world doesn’t understand.

He is Archie Bunker in the White House.

His followers love him for what he is.

How will he surprise us next?

Geoff Fox, 30 November, 2020, Down Under.