Tag: In Two Minds

Pepohonan #4 Jaya Tree Poetry

When poetry goes from one language to anohter it has to change to remain poetry.

I call this transcreation,

Dwijaya Saifil Munir sent me a wonderful spontaneous poem about the holiness of trees.

I transcreated it into English.

Then in performance I transcreated those lines into a homage to a big city garden tree.

I then transcreated that into a partial reconstruction of the original Indonesian poem in the subtitles.

As Paul McCartney wrote about his landmark indie album, Wings’ Wild Life, “Can you dig it?”

Geoff Fox, 17th February, 2021 Terra Nullius

The Fundamentals #9 Managing Our Times

Amanda Woods of San Diego is young and smart.

I am older. But I learn from and with her.

Martin Luther King Jr, born on this date in 1929 taught that “…… the wealth of cultural and technological progress in America is a result of the commonwealth of inpouring contributions.”

This human commonwealth exists across races, times and places.

When it is shared in freedom and justice, it can grow.

When it become tyrannous, it dies.

Geoff Fox, 16th January, 2021, Terra Nullius

Literary Tujuhbelasan #12 The Children

The Indonesian text here is an edited version of a quote from a Rumi inspired passage in the book “Mamonisme” by Maman A Majid Binfas of Jakarta. It means “Give a home to their bodies but not to their souls. Their souls reside in the future.”

My English lines are inspired by an American equivalent of Rumi, country singer Paul Siebel.

Lest we forget: children can unite us.

Without them our world dies.

Geoff Fox 31st December 2020 Down Under

Austral-Indonesian Tujuhbelasan #15 Bung Karno and Maman AMB

Good mannered culture opposes the insulting barbarous global culture: “Who are you and !?/Who am I if not you?/Who are you if not yourself?/Who are you if not me?”

On this date in 1937, a new Asian imperialism commenced the massacre called the rape of Nanking.

In contrast, Indonesian culture combines the passion of revolution with soft calm kebersamaan – togetherness.

Geoff Fox, 13 December, 2020, Down Under

The Fundamentals #3 We Need Us

My three words above stress the interdependence of us all which I see in the work of artist John Lawry.

On August 18, 1914, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed American neutrality in response to war in Europe. Seeking enemies and war doesnt do any good.

On August 18, 1920, women secured the right to vote across America. Excluding half the population from democracy wasnt sustainable.

Geoff Fox, 18th August. 2020, Down Under.