Inspired By Tagore

"I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present."
Rabindranath Tagore


Rabindranath Tagore is such an inspiring poet. I love the positive outlook he has on life that shines through in his writing. Recently, as in, a few months ago, I won a prize for the International Writing Competition: "Inspired by Tagore", a good feeling to know that I can inspire others too :-)

Here is the poem that won a prize from the competition :-)


Refugee Prayer


When I think about peace
I always think about a calm place

white

awash with sounds

wind lifting dunes

like the curls of a fossil

somewhere

where the gun does not point at my father

and me

nor beats my mother

I remember the day Communist soldiers stole

her wedding ring

tossed it on the ground

where the red opal stirs memory

bleeding this changeling to madness

somewhere

where there is no machine gun rattle

as mother tucks me in bed

while she whispers a prayer

for an island across the sea

away from this rubble of a country

lying awake on the refugee boat

listening to the vast ocean

making conversation

peace

          peace
                    peace

Upon Meeting

In the stillness of all nights,
I find myself thinking of you
I cannot recite what it is exactly what this feels
but I notice it in every tiny detail,
the rain swept tree from my window
is just a harp, sending its notes into beauty
and beyond, I can go to work, in all its
tedious misgivings, stress, but this seems less
weighted for I think of you, I cannot tell you enough
what it is that stirs within me, the silent bud of
flowers is silent, but holds the light of many
mazes of beauty. Birds sing because it is just
what they do. I remember the times
of childhood, all the colours of a robins egg
hatching at the paint of any empty canvas.
And I am brought back to this recurring thought,
in the stillness of all nights, in the tedium of all days,
battered by work, fatigued by life, but when all I need
to do is think of you, with your kindness, as soft
as all daffodils, my heart, like a tidepool, swept
in the tempest of your oceanic arms. I do not know
what it is that you do for me, but it blinds like
the first chink of light, after a long passage of darkness
in the mines, my tap, tap, tap of a hammer, sawing
through to the daybreak, and I will
embrace the light of your eyes.

Time for an emotion

Tess is such an amazing writer. I can feel every ounce of her emotion as she writes a post on her blog. It's so real, and humbling to read. An ideology of thought has recently arisen in me, it's based on the theory of Christianity, and before you roll your eyes, it's a reasonable argument. Recently I have been attending Youth Groups and they have put forth the idea that 1. Humans are first born to this world for good. 2. As life goes on, we are no doubt going to encouter problematic issues, therefore we can become Damaged By Evil. 3. The Church then stands forth as a vantage point, or a reference of hope for those in need of restoration and revitalisation. 4. This precures a sense of being 'sent together' in a communal environment to heal. 5. We are then on the path together to 'set everything right'.

As a poet, or a human being I have no doubt encountered those problematic issues, they became a problem for quite some time before it has turned into a restorative development. So what I'm trying to say is, I'm trying my best to be less self-absorbed by looking inwards, when rather, I should be looking outwards and helping others (that would be called the phase of 'damaged by evil' phase 2). I'm currently being restored for better, and i'm working on it.

This is one long post. All in all, a massive shout out, and compliment to Tess's writing skills and her ability to stir emotions within myself (positive), and create a sense of comradeship is just priceless- that's what life's about- loving the people you love. Vuong out. Oh, here's a link to one of her posts:  http://scrumpaliciouslife.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/countdown.html

Now, time to write a raw poem.

The Continuous Ramblings Of Vuong Pham

Another blog post, another stream of consciousness. I just had a read of my good friend's poem "Life Is" by Glenn George, and found it very inspiring, it's sentiment that yes, there are evil things that will happen in life, but the important part of living and having a happy well-being is to look for alternate ways as opposed to "slitting your wrists" all the time, which can be a 'easy' downward loop in thinking, behaving, etc. Here's the poem: http://spellinggooroo.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/life-is.html. I have recently been attending new church services, experimenting with different religions, and this has to be the saving grace that I've been looking for. In the Hillsong service I went to recently the pastor said something about the motivational power of compliments. Some stand-out phrases he referenced which inspired him throughout his life were: "God's enjoy going to use you more", "You're doing better than you think you are". He told a story of how he was teased and ridiculed as a teenager for being a virgin. He now has a wife and kids, and held out for the right person, and was now a successful pastor travelling overseas to different churches to encourage and motivate people. I'm still waiting for the right person to come along :-) Hope is again on the horizon. Vuong out.