Be Still

Impromptu tear upon my cheek
What is your role, what do you seek
Elicited from memories deep
A world long gone you could not keep

As track you make sink dew to skin
Forlorn in hope new life begin
The manner that hint you of grief
illustrate that time brings no relief

Though fleeting be your silvery stain
Emotion whence you came remain
But soon retreats, once more be masked
as daily life more stoic tasked

Betwixt the conscious mundane fate
Flows deeper love through Traitors Gate
The heart beats not on axeman’s block
Through tear-filled eyes at twelve o’clock

Pause not too long beneath the blade
In fear observe the mess you made
Hold back the reemergent tear
Dwell not on now but yesteryear

A Brief Encounter with Sammy Hart

When I am in a foreign country, I would see to it that I do either one of these three things: 1) watch a movie, 2) attend a photo exhibit, or 3) visit a museum. Of course, this is ideal if you are a tourist and you have all the time in the world. I went to Katowice mainly to attend a conference and there is a slight chance of sightseeing during the duration of the conference unless of course if I chose to “cut class” which I couldn’t do because I was with my boss.

Luckily though, the organizer of the conference had arranged several cultural visits on the side. One was a visit to the National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the ambassador of Polish culture on the international artistic scene. Anwyay, originally, we were there to hear a woodwind quintet performance or something which would start later of the day. As we were walking inside the orchestra, I saw a Sammy Hart exhibit at the lobby and instantly I went there to see it.

Sammy Hart is a German-based photographer. He’s into portraitures in many genres. I am not well-versed with all his works but the thought of seeing a photo exhibit was exhilarating.  His exhibit was a product of his visit to Katowice while he was taking photos of Isabelle Faust and some musicians inside the orchestra house. Faust is a famous German violinist. All exhibited photos were taken between March 12-14, 2015.

Carnival Atmosphere

West Papua freedom dancers at the Cowley Road Carnival.

At first I thought, those are some funny-dressed Cubans! But they are from West Papua, the part of the island of Papua that isn’t New Guinea and is still controlled by Indonesia.  Their plight smacks of East Timor, which took 2 decades of fighting and campaigning trying to highlight the human rights violations perpetrated by Indonesia, to wrench itself free and then was forgotten seemingly by most of the world as no longer a pressing concern.  Indonesia are of course useful Muslims for the West so that rather explains that.  I suspect West Papua has a battle on its hands.  Good luck to them.