IMAGINATION / Anjan Sen

From the Kalpa began imagination
From the leaves of the Meghduta , a grey cloud
Floated down in front of us.
The Kalpadruma shuddered
Gold Silver dust kept falling
Diamonds coals mud kept falling
The eyelid flickered
One bird is flying become Bihag
A woodcutter was gathering wood from Kalpadruma

(TRANSLATED from Bengali by Amlan Dasgupta)

collected in TIN BISSE DIN RATRI (1987) , original title :kalpana
NOTES :
Kalpa=endlesstime ,fulfilment of desire , concept of creation and destruction.
Kalpadruma= kalpa-tree , Bihag = Indian evening melody (raga) ,Meghaduta

Anjan Sen / JOURNEY

Flowers bloom in the footsteps of one who goes
Pulluig away all attractions and burdens
And while going ,sweat stains the chosen path.
Flowers bloom , the journey becomes meaningful.
A flurry in the path of speech
Oblique attractions
Starled , one hesitates
And goes again
And in going words become fire and water
Earth and universe.
Speech continues
And the earthly rhythms of common speech
Become verses
Going .

1989(Translated from Bengali by Amlan Dsgupta ,Collected in Goudbochon Kothon Bisswa ,1993)

Anjan Sen / Flow

And flows goes on
Standing rock- deep in the holy river , the hibiscus sky
Where hast thou come O river
The flowing locks of the destroyer , in mountains
When the fire of the skies cool, water
Drenches the soilo and soothes the eyes
Life flows on through the rain,
And men discuss it as hope
And sing its praises
Call the river their mother,
Sing hymns
In their primal , magical belief
Sky rain mountain river water
Flowing

1989(Translated from Bengali by Amlan Dsgupta ,Collected in Goudbochon Kothon Bisswa ,1993

Anjan sent me these poems asking for feedback which I have given him and have been given permission to share them with you.

" Dear Mira ,I write in Bengali ,sometime I paint in tempara which is extension of my poems.,interested to know about your works. I am sending u 3 of my poems translated from Bengali ,just to have your reaction as a person of differtnt country/culture.
b/rgds, Anjan

Sorrow's family has left
Its rundown ancestral home
Heading down the path of poverty

The universe will be a village, my dear.

(”Translated by Jesse Knutson,)

Anjan Sen/ Shadow

The shadow shakes
The shadow's shadow floats
In the room on the edge of the river
Long long painted scrolls
The story comes in pieces and goes on
In the mind's long painted scroll
Long painted eyes a body in the eyes
But she's not at home
There's no speech, only speech's shadow
These images from words
All blessed illusion

( Translated by : Jesse Knutson

Anjan Sen / Cloud Form

The cloud went after a cloud;

Meghanåd also cried like a cloud when he was born;

The tired cloud rest on a mountain's breast.

A nervous yakßa said 'go and carry my news';

The cloud went stepping over the sky's undertow.

Seeing the black cloud

I thought of my dark K(R)ߪa...

Lady you got wet in the corner of the courtyard

And your dress oozes and oozes

Pitter patter pitter patter
I thought of my dark Kali...

On the cloud, my heart,
and on a tender stage, her frightening face sways.

The cloud forms and it transforms...

( Translated by Jesse Knutson ) "

I'll forward your comments to Anjan . Thank you

x

Dreamed about people from the past. Anita, Christina and Jonas.

Jonas had found an ingenious and strange method of cleaning a rug. He had it in a huge tub of water together with lard or grease of some sort Odd.. very odd.

Anita , Christina and I meet in Anita's flat and Christina suggests I go out to lunch with her. Anita tags on.

I think these dreams must be about my subpersonalities represented by these people. They are all parts of me and have been with me a long time. Only Christina is in my life now. We meet infrequently but our meetings are always heartfelt , meaningful and enjoyable.

Both Jonas and Anita are strong personalities but they wear masks , seduced by glamour and the material.

Jonas: generous, talented, skillful, mischievous, manipulating, controlling, possessive, jealous, charming,

Anita: Vain, in denial, one of a kind, sophisticated, eccentric, bitter, vengeful, talented, skillful, childlike, false, artificial, scared, achieves superficial success,stingy, controlling,manipulative, loyal,

Christina is a good mother, gayia, pioneer, compassionate,somewhat narcissistic, spiritual , religious, powerful, couragous, wise, caring,creative.

Christina is still a role model.
Hmmmmmmmmm food for thought there

Another bright and sunny day.
Woke up at 5 am , pondered awhile , and went back to sleep. I have been waking up at this hour a lot recently. This could evolve into a good habit; a regular 5 am meditation to greet the dawn as a way of starting the day.

LISTEN to the exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day! For it is Life, The very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the Varieties And Realities of your Existence;
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived
Makes every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every To-morrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn.