As Below So Above....

The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding.

When the ears of the Student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to fill them with Wisdom.

The Principles of Truth are Seven. He who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open:

1. The ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental
2. As above, so below; as below so above
3. Nothing rests; Everything moves; Everything vibrates
4. Everything is Dual
5. Everything flows
6. Every Cause has its Effect
7. Gender is everything

Intimate Portraits of Sycamore Trees

….just like people, pain and sadness is hard to hide…

"As I Walked Out One Evening"

...The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world."
But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
"O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time....
"O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed...

W.H. Auden(1937)

Per te, amore…

Io non so parlar d'amore
l'emozione non ha voce
E mi manca un po il respire
Se ci sei c'e troppa luce

La mia anima si spande
Come musica d'estate
Poi la voglia sai mi prende
E mi accende con i baci tuoi

Io con te saro sincero
Restero quel che sono
Disonesto mai lo giuro
Ma se tradisci non perdono

Ti saro per sempre amico
Pur geloso come sai
Io lo so mi contraddico
Ma preziosa sei tu per me…

Three Years Before the Apocalypse?

...Whether it is The Mayan Prophecy or prophecies of Nostradamus becoming true, or Planet X, Nibiru or a "killer” gamma-ray burst, or planet Earth's alignment with the center of Milky Way galaxy, or reverse polarity of the magnetic poles, whether this event will originate deep within the core of our planet, forcing a catastrophic change in our protective magnetic field… Will it matter when it comes?

Maybe it is a good thing knowing that there are only 3 years left…. Maybe everyone of us would make fewer mistakes during remaining three years and love truly…. Maybe we should start care for each other now… If the Apocalypse will not take place as scheduled (!), it would hurt no one’s pride to be nice to each other….
It will be a great test for humanity to prove its usefulness and goodness…

Allow me to quote here one of my old poems,
“…Live your life like there is one day to live.
If you can forgive yourself, God will forgive…”

Today I made you think.

Departure

"....The room is dark and weary…
Between your face and mine
A cloudy, smoky veil..."

“Late Night Departure”

…We sit on the floor,
The room is dark and weary,
I lit up a cigarette
And place between your lips…

So much to explain, to say
But talk we’d rather not…
This room will hold my scent
Long after I am gone…

I decode your thoughts
In your kind grey eyes –
How trivial uttering words
When the two can read each other’s mind…

In silence you gaze
Memorizing my face…
Am still amused and I smile -
How easy to read your mind!…

One thought made me quiver with pain,
“Will I ever see him one more time?”
“Will I ever touch her again?” –
Your thought is echoing mine…
**********************
The room is dark and weary…
Between your face and mine
A cloudy, smoky veil,
In this haze we’re slowly drifting apart…
August 1980

Dina

Dina. Dinah. Deena… My 26 years old Kotik (little kitten) moved away two weeks ago…

Park Slope, Brooklyn. This is where she lives now… An hour and half away from me…

Going Home from Brooklyn....

An old man is playing sax…. At first, I thought he was drunk… then, while waiting for my #1 train (late at night it may take up to 30 minutes, unfortunately) I was watching him: his wrists were swollen, his feet – crippled…. The tunes he played, at times, sounded crippled too: tired, broken, incoherent…. Yet, there were moments, when it sounded free and sweet and sexy, taking the listener into the warmth and spiciness of enchanting New Orleans…

14th street station. One of the ugliest and dirtiest station in NYC, where nasty rats are looking at passengers above and trying to make an eye contact begging for scraps of food…

“Tomorrow”

...Tomorrow is just another day,
Yet, people shall remember to be kind…
And every evening everyone would say,
“Today I made ten people smile…”

“Thinking Aloud” - to be read tomorrow

She’s looking. Looking, looking….
She thought yesterday, thinking again:
“What is there for me tomorrow –
Another somber day? More pain?”

“Tomorrow”, a mysterious matter,
Out of everyone’s reach and touch,
A rock-solid fence which crumbles
At the strike of twelve, at midnight…

She thinks beyond her pain and sorrow,
"Tomorrow, she thinks, shall be a better day,"
“Tomorrow is a Hope,
Tomorrow is always better than today…”
**********************
Tomorrow is just another day,
Yet, people shall remember to be kind…
And every evening everyone would say,
“Today I made ten people smile…”
May 31, 2009

A little update from the Greek section at the Met… Among others, a papyri fragment of “Iliad”…

The Central Park, NYC, on a soft May 1st, 2009

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Be your own art expert. Two paintings posted side by side, one – the original, the second is a copy (the “Doria version”, some do suggest that Caravaggio himself had copied his own work):
“…here’s the boy’s gaze caught the viewer directly, mockingly, whereas the eyes of the Doria boy seemed slightly averted, the smile distinctly less open…”

…he (Caravaggio) had been resurrected from obscurity, in large part by Roberto Longhi, who had written in 1941 that Caravaggio was “one of the least known painters if Italian art”. His eclipse occurred with astonishing rapidity. Caravaggio’s realism had initially attracted many followers – the Caravaggisti.
…By the end of the XVII century, he was regarded as a minor painter of low repute. The years passed and few connoseurs bothered to take a note of him. One who did , the nineteenth-century English critic John Raskin, wrote in disgust that “Caravaggio fed “upon horror and ugliness, and filthiness of sin.”

When Longhi put together his Caravaggio exhibition in Milan in 1951, many of the visitors, art historians among them, knew little or nothing about the artist. His paintings had long been consigned to the back rooms and storage bins of galleries and museums…

Regarding this painting, St. John, most art historians thought Caravaggio had stolen the pose from Michelangelo, from a nude in the Sistine Chapel.

(from the book by Jonathan Harr, “The Lost Painting”)

Michal Kleofas Oginski - Polonaise "Farewell to the Homeland"

Michal Kleofas Ogiñski (born October 7, 1765, Guzów near Warsaw - died October 10, 1833, Florence, Italy) was both Belarusian and Polish statesman, rebel, composer, most known for his polonaise Po¿egnanie Ojczyzny / Farewell to the Homeland.
Ambassador, composer, the General Paymaster of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
He was born in Guzów near Warsaw. Graduated at home. Was good at music and foreign languages especially.

Happy Spring To All! Happy Travel to Some!

"There are souls, in these noise-tired times, that turn aside into unfrequented lanes, where the deep woods have harbored the fragrances of many a blossoming season. Here the light, filtering through perfect forms, arranges itself in lovely patterns for those who perceive beauty..."
Roy J. Cook

Anna Akhmatova:

"There are the words that couldn’t be twice said,
He, who said once, spent out all his senses.
Only two things have never their end –
The heavens’ blue and the Creator’s mercy."

"My my Delilah..."

"I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window
I saw the flickering shadow of love on her blind
She was my woman
As she decieved me I watched and went out of my mind...."

Fridays vs. Mondays...

…almost there!! Happy Friday!!
I will definitely feel like that indefatigable …penguin!!!!

"Chronos"

Bill Maher: “Polite Musings From a Timid Observer”

“Folk Off”
Bob Dylan must stop denying he was the voice of a generation. Bob, that’s not something you get to decide. It’s fate and you were it. If your generation could actually choose a voice, don’t you think they’d have picked one better than yours?”

“Fool Recovery”
Former drug addicts and alcoholics have to stop saying, “I almost died.” No. Cancer survivors almost died. You almost had too good a time.

“New Rule”
“Stop calling it a “perfect storm” when two bad things happen at the same time. Sometimes it’s just some crap happening at the same time as some other crap. Let’s go back to what we used to call it before that movie about George Clooney and his epic struggle to kill more tuna: Shit happens.”

“French Whine”
No more bitching about the French. At least they’re standing up to the Bush administration, which is more than I can say for the Democrats. And it doesn’t make me un-American to say I’d rather live in Paris than in some place where cheese only comes in individually wrapped slices.”

Tribute to Mysterious Hafiz…

“…Keep perfumes away from our feast tonight
The fragrance of your hair, our feast will grace.
Speak not to me of sweetness of candy and sugar;
Since my lips, sweetness of your lips, did once trace.
Your treasures are hidden in the ruins of my heart
And my path to the tavern has now become sacred space.
Speak not of disgrace; that's my fame and my base
And fame and high place, I despise and debase.
Drunk and disconcerted and demented and deceived
Show me one who's not, within our town and our race.
Fault not the pious one, because he, also, like us,
Is seeking love and grace, in his own way, at his own pace…”

To make you smile, dear friends!

If there was the Nobel Prize for Stupidity, I am sure this one would be, at least, the runner-up!
Stop by if you need a smile!

“Mood Swings”

The conversation was slow and cold –
Started awkward, abruptly stopped
You and I ran out of words,
Out of happiness. Trapped…

That’s how the evening ended –
Bitterness’ poisoned my soul…
I shall submerge into the fifth dimension,
The sacred place of rhymed words.

Next morning – winds and rain,
The sadness frowns at me, still alive…
Nature too displays her moods today,
To match my own frame of mind…
March 31, 2009

“I Have Plenty of Time…”

’Tis Time that does its daily weeding,
Making unhurried rounds,
Commands, “it’s time you get your wrinkles”,
Telling others – ‘tis time to depart…”

Time’s angered me today,
I do object, I protest!
I’ve decided to punish Time
By spending my time in my Past.

When I came to my normal senses,
I discovered upon my return
That, while reliving my Past,
It was I, not Time, who has lost...

Time punish the slow and the idle,
Holding everyone’s life’s strings
In its firm and unseen clutch
Making wither every living thing…
**********************
Here’s the secret, a trick,
When I say, “I have plenty of time” –
I hold its very fabric in my grip,
I possess, I own my Time…

"Granada" Means....

Estas Tonne (acustic guitar)

Most amazing guitarist of our time plays "Russian Nostalgia"...

Sonnet No. 29

"...For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings, That then I scorn to change my state with kings..."

La Place Rouge (Nathalie)

Le soir Nostalgie....
Very few people know this song by it’s original name, “La Place Rouge” – to every Russian Natasha, this the song is about her and to her… To all Nathalies!

Mon Amie La Rose.....

Follow Francoise’ sweet voice…….. You will be amazed where you may find yourself at the end of this song.
Bon Voyage……………

Happy Birthday to all Pisces in the world!

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed........

Oleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Los Farruco – the first family of flamenco dance – is a famous flamenco dynasty known for its electrifying performances of Spanish Gypsy art. Conceived and directed by Farruquito, grandson of the legendary patriarch El Farruco, this program features La Farruca, daughter of El Farruco, noted for her passionate dancing; her son, Farruco, a rising star in flamenco known for his remarkable footwork; La Faraona, dubbed “the mother of buleria” by her father El Farruco; Barullo, grandson of El Farruco, who maintains the elegance of traditional flamenco dance

“Granada” Means Pomegranate...”

“I shut my eyes… to every thing
That called me back to every-day life”
(Washington Irving)

Capturing the spirit of Granada,
Watching an autumn sunset,
From secluded galleries and gardens,
Where the only sound to be heard –
The gentle murmur of the fountain
And the trill of nesting bird…

Snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada
Are touched with red and the pink
Of ancient towers of Alhambra,
Silhouetted against the mountains,
Bent down by the weight of myths
And ready to relive another dream…

The delicate beauty within the walls,
Granada’s mood’s ever so sorrowful…
Scattered silence of the Moors’
Still alive amidst the splendid ruins…

…I shut my eyes
Breathing in an exotic scent,
Letting in sounds and colors…
So vivid was the experience,
I have tasted on my tongue
Bloody-red of the pomegranate…
March 21, 2009

Fieldston Pond frozen...

This poor duck, I have to mention here,
Had no girlfriend for the past two years…
When the weather was brutally cold,
He was protecting
This shrinking waterhole
From freezing…
All alone….

Fieldston Park

"Meditation on Metta Sutta"

The Buddha’s Words on Metta Sutta (Love)

This is what one needs to do,
The one who knows what is good,
Who has understood the path to Peace
And in search for the ultimate Truth.

He should be able and upright,
Of good speech and kind,
And free from pride,
He should be contented,
Living simply and satisfied…

Let him think,
“May all beings be well and safe,
May they be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be,
Whether moving or standing still,
With no exception at all,
Whether great, large or small,
Whether tiny or substantial,
Whether seen or unseen,
Whether living far or close by,
All beings are Divine…

Let none deceive or despise another,
In anger or in hate
Let none wish harm…
Standing, walking, seated,
Lying down,
He should always fix his attention
On this recollection.”
***********************
This, they say, is the Divine,
Not falling into false opinions,
Endowed with belief and vision,
He will forever inspire and shine…”
March 18, 2009

“Random Thoughts”

“Random Thoughts or Restless Evening”

I’m not in the mood for tea,
For coffee it is rather late,
I never liked warm milk,
Tonight I’ll be content
With honey and French bread …

The evening feels restless,
Threatens to spoil gentle night.
A dozen of timepieces,
Of different shapes and size,
Are forcefully advice,
"‘Tis time…"
***************
Restlessness. Tired I am not.
Recounting my dreams and thoughts –
Some are humorous,
Some are rather odd:

As recently as yesterday
My woman-boss (don’t ask me why)
Has labeled me a …saboteur,
She made me feel a Soviet spy!
****************
From sad to inspiring and nice,
My thoughts had drifted to Sevilla –
Reliving once again Flamenco nights
At a sizzling-hot Tablao El Arenal…

From happy Seville to lethargic Granada,
Where the proud Alhambra crowns the hill…
Where the Gypsies’ aggressive team
Forcing bystanders to buy
Twigs of rosemary and thyme…
******************
The evening has now expired,
My mood is neither sad nor light,
‘Tis time to delete daily hassle
And slowly dive into the night…
****************
Suddenly this phrase was recalled,
Copied a day or two ago:
“The ingredients of happiness
Come very cheap tomorrow…”

On the morrow then,
At a better price!…
It made me smile
And wonder for awhile:
Which kind of happiness is cheaper
And why….
******************
Then this one question
Came to mind,
“In a stretch between twenty and forty
How much of the magic left
In once adventurous girl?...

Has life worn away her exuberance?
Can she still be the daring and keen?” –
I’d say, it would sure depend on her man –
He may add or wipe out her zeal…
March 7, 2009

“An Emptiness Reigns…”

“An Emptiness Reigns…”

An emptiness reigns in my heart…
Well-known streets are deserted and long,
The skies have no clouds, no stars
Things look familiar, yet something is wrong…

I asked the wind, “What has happened?”
I asked the rain, “What went wrong?”
The wind kept hissing something incoherent,
The rain had no answer, it cried on and on…

I was sad, irritated and puzzled –
Someone or something must know the truth…
Then I heard a movement, a rustle:
“The answer lies in your own heart…”
**************************
Clouds and winds are shaping new dreams,
Stars are as bright and as precious….
Time is a river made of events –
Always there but never the same…
January 10, 2009

"Eeriness"

“Eeriness”

It’s not late, it’s not dark,
Another hour or so before the dusk,
Nonetheless it feels eerie and tense
As if the air is filled with suspense…

Nothing is happening, all is still,
I looked up, behind and uphill,
Cars passed by, once or twice,
No other movement otherwise…

No birds, no squirrel with a torn ear,
Nothing moves or so it appeared,
All stopped and cautiously waits
While eeriness is passing through the gate…

Minutes passed. Or hours? – Who knows?
All was lifeless above and below…
Where this strangeness dwells,
Behind which gate or cell?

Housed in dimension of Fear
Arriving always from …nowhere,
Eeriness, sightless and unkind,
Is playing tricks with our minds.
*************************
White bread in hand. My sparrows are here,
So is the squirrel with a torn ear…
What was it? Hiccupping of Time? –
Whatever it was, it is all behind…
February 17, 2009

“Self-Portrait”

"Suffering is a Part..."

“Suffering is a Part of Human Life or Scarlet Bra...”

Jokes aside.
Let’s make serious faces –
Life is for suffering,
No choice but embrace it.

Hell that’s always within,
Stays quiet then coils
In erratic of manners,
At the wrong point…

“Wrong timing, wrong point”…
There’s no such a thing! –
The Script was written
Before we were born.

Changes are brewing,
Prepared or not,
Admit and embrace them
With an open heart…
******************
No bribing one’s Fate,
Never worked thus far!
….I bribe my senses
With a scarlet new bra.
January 31, 2009

"An Eclipse is a time of Transition..."

“Times of Transition….”

As soon as this year has arrived
It brought an Eclipse in Aquarius…
It is said, by those who believes,
An Eclipse is a time of Transition…

A time of change and transition
Is encouraging all to move on…
Yet my unfailing intuition
Is unprepared for a cruel blow…

It is by the experts predicted
That friendships, bonds would fail…
To the Stars our lives shall as much matter
As those of roses or foxtails...
******************************
An “emotional” Full Moon,
“Moody” Cancer, so on and so forth,
Why I have to adjust my life
Around constellations’ moods and swirls?

No matter what Eclipses do foretell –
Losses, gains, tragedies, delight,
They’re clearing obstacles away,
Things or persons we don’t need in life...
January 26, 2009

“Losing Myself”

“Losing Myself”

I know not. I do not know.
I am confused, I’m a walking sorrow.
Ask me no questions, let me be for now,
No questions, please, no raising brows.

I am lost. I don’t wish to be found.
Where am I – you’d better don’t ask,
I could be in that snowy cloud
Or melted in a supermarket’s isles.

I know, I am there, somewhere,
Counting snowflakes and losing count,
Moving fog with my cold hands
Away from my face and my mind…

You could have your own idea,
Where those who’s lost might be.
Give me a sign, let me hear it,
I wish to be found by thee…
January 11, 2009