Bamboo Grove

Lonely Flowering Tree

What's Its Name Red Flower

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I saw a wonderful plant radiant with red tiny flowers and took it home, yet as I carefully searched it in my computer, I still found a more beautiful slender branch of it which I didn’t notice before. My digital camera did it.  

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Paddy

I imagine that a paddy corn stalk would be graceful as an ornament such as a necklace, worn on the shoulder, on the breast, around the wrist or hung in a bunch in an entrance, on a door,  a window as decoration.

Remembering Benji, The Unwanted Puppy

She should be called Lucky, not Benji as she was so lucky to be picked up by si Upik as a very little, dirty, stinking, shivering puppy, left behind in a garbage heap in the rain with her eyes so piteously looking. She had to be given away and was sent to a Hansip (a man in charge to guard our district) who kept street dogs. She was so small, she couldn’t compete with the others for food, yet, almost unbelievable, she was so lucky this little puppy she could crawl and find the way back, entered stumbling through the trellis gate into our house the next day.  Then si Upik decided to take care of her despite her mother’s wishes. She was treated  in a dog’s asylum for her skin decease. She again was lucky she wasn’t killed as the doctor might think that she should better be finished as she was so ugly, stinking,  no one would have, or buy her unless  si Upik  take her back. And she came back after a long time and paid the doctor for his care.

Benji was bald when she came back, grew up, became healthy, beautiful with long hair, so loved. She was regarded as a very loved member of our family. Our coming home was a joy to see her waiting for us on the balcony, then lively, excitedly welcomed us, running to and fro,  jumping up the stairs. She was so courageous that she jumped up,  raged when the thunder threatening roared and when I took her for a walk she gladly went with me, she wasn’t ashamed though when she had her knotted, twisted hair badly cut.  There was no dog jeered at her foolish appearance. It was me that was ashamed, embarrassed walking with her. Ha. Ha.

This is a picture of her, I am happy I can preserve it  in You Tube, even though she was already old, feeble and sick. I still see her in my mind.

We all missed her when she died. If  Benji only could be retrieved back to life, I would gladly clean up when she vomits, or spoon her when she’s reluctant to eat, ... But as I now think am I happy that she died. Peaceful now, free from her illness and piteous appearance, instead to live a life of sufferings in old age.

Harjuna And Kreshna Statue

The Reformer

There’s a fine statue in Jakarta of Harjuna* and Kreshna* standing in their warrior chariot drawn by eight fiery horses. How it stirs the imagination of one who watches this artistic work for a long while.

 

Harjuna had just shot his arrow into the air, fighting, warring evil spirits which are hovering over the earth, whispering wicked spells into the people’s heart. When these spirits are among happy, cheerful people, unrest, envy, suffering, destruction, quarrels arise and tears are flowing.

 

“Evil spirits carry disaster, enlightened whisperings bring blessings” said si upik.

I remember Pak Arif’s enlightened thought. He said that he isn’t offended, doesn’t envy others who can afford to stay in a five star hotel, have a mansion as a palace, owning many giant corporations, tour the world, eating steak, ice cream, wine every day and he doesn’t. His feet are worth more than a Mercy, his brain and body are even more than computers and a space station. His health, freedom, happiness is turning the simplest foods into a heavenly meal.

He doesn’t have to trouble, to busy, to worry himself about reforming the country and the people as many people already chase, compete, busy themselves after it. He feels himself so rich, what, whom should he envy, ha, ha, ha, he laughed. In fact, pak Arif could only afford to buy himself a bicycle.

And where the chariot passed, where the horses ran, galloped and stepped, springs were spouting, welling up clear, fresh water. The earth became fertile, green, trees growing, heavy with abundant fruits, the paddy rich in golden showers, flowers bloomed, birds were warbling, butterflies, dragon flies hovering, … even when it was a dreary, dry, rocky region before.

When they passed through the ruins of a fire or the remains of a plunder, there was new construction, when they passed through poor, forlorn villages the villages prosper, there was no unrest, suffering, hate, jealousy, blackmail, And when they visited government buildings, there was no so called Corruption, Collusion, Nepotism anymore. Anywhere, any place they visited became peaceful and something of a paradise.

Following Kreshna’s divine advice, Harjuna traveled, rode the whole land to establish a dream kingdom, Indraprastha. “Oh, no, that’s not Harjuna, but he is the Reformer, building a new, prosperous, happy, peaceful, beautiful Indonesia!” whispered an inner voice and I waked up from my reverie. It’s a pity that this should just only be a dream.

Different View

* Note

Harjuna a hero, Kreshna a God in the Mahabharata

From Suara Karya, August 24, 1998

March 2011