Visions of the Future
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World Citizen by the fence
This poem speaks for itself and little needs be said. Many admire the idea of world citizenship, but to live it; that is something else. World Citizen by the fence Cittadino del mondo accanto al recinto Do you ever say the words out loud? World Citizen … I am. Mai dici le parole ad alta voce? Cittadino del mondo … io sono. Or do they sit unspoken and rest, Strange and foreign on your tongue? O restano in silenzio, Strani e stranieri sulla lingua? Pretentious perhaps or silly, or that small anxiety that you May be labelled traitor, or Rootless Cosmopolitan called? Presuntuose forse o sciocche O quella piccola ansia…
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Dead Earth Dead Sea – A New Midrash
This poem was inspired by my muse (my beautiful wife) while we were on the Sydney ocean walk between Coogee and Bronte. As she was looking at the ocean, a thought came to her and she said “all the seas flow into each other …” then adding “… except the Dead Sea”. That spark inspired my poem below. Questo poema fu ispirato dalla mia musa (la mia bellissima moglie) mentre camminavamo sul lungomare di Sydney fra Coogee e Bronte. Mentre lei guardava l’oceano, un pensiero le è venuto e ha detto “tutti i mari scorrono uno dentro all’altro …” poi aggiungendo ” … tranne il Mar Morto.” Quella scintilla ispira…
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Bones and Stones – Civilisation is Not Measured in Piled up Steel
In this poem I ask what we mean when we say ‘civilisation’. If you look at typical definitions you find answers that suggest complexity, hierarchy, trade; as if these things have ‘value’ in themselves. We tell the story of civilisation in terms of ‘stone’ and, as often, in terms of the ‘bones’ of those whose death has served as fertiliser for this or that history. In questa poesia chiedo cosa intendiamo con la parola ‘civiltà’ . Le tipiche definizioni suggeriscono complessità, gerarchia, commercio; come se queste cose avessero valore da sé. Raccontiamo la storia della civiltà in termini di ‘pietre’, e sovente, in termini di ‘ossa’ di quelli la cui…
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Higher Learning – Science and Peace
During his journey through North America Abdu’l Baha visited a number of universities. He spoke at Columbia University in New York, Howard University in Washington DC and Stanford University in Palo Alto. Much of my life is associated with universities. So these talks have special meaning at a personal level. Particularly at Columbia and Stanford, Abdu’l Baha’s spoke about science and peace – another implication of harmony of science and religion. At Howard University – at the time a university established to provide educational opportunities for African American students – Abdu’l Baha spoke of oneness of humanity and the importance of love between black and white Americans. At Colombia University, Abdu’l Baha…
