Monthly Archives: November 2016
Essay from Donal Mahoney
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2016/08/15/case-against-maplewood-weed-lady-will-be-heard-in-st-louis-county
http://ksdk.com/news/local/maplewood-woman-faces-citations-for-tall-flowers-and-milk-weeds/295364245
Art from Rui Carvalho
Elizabeth Hughes’ Book Periscope
Poetry from Suvojit Banerjee
To the non Wonder
In our days of learning the slum-alphabets
we craved of sugar-topped coconut balls
served in a silver dish.
That never came about.
With a pistol in my hand and a raging
youth in my loins, I had given in
to the picture of wonder, and
meekly submitted, like a damaged
Dorian Gray, plunging inside
the dark pollens of rhododendrons.
Love to me was stories
that rich people told their kids
at bedtime. The wagon-breakers,
the mongrels born out of
streetside fucks didn’t get
a Christmas present.
The gentle greenery was swaying with
moist, complaining river wind that evening.
When I saw my son thrusting himself
into a woman, teeth and nails bare,
burning his wonders into
a hot vicious brand, I was sitting with
my share of bullets, counting stars that
never shone on people who grew up
under homes made of plastic shades.
A piece of the forgotten
On the other side of the wall
that moons can see on earth, lies
a river with five faces. The suburban
myth led people to jump to their
death here, thinking that under
the gray abyss of water
was Atlantis.
On mornings laced with fumes
of roasted ducks and fried
catfish, blind hawkers made
their way to the bigger
spectacle of a city with
skyscrapers. Little bougainvilleas
coming out from the creaks
of the wall are fed by
bone-wishes of people buried there.
It is a strange curio-shop of old
people and even older wishes,
wrapped hastily by
banana-leaves, yellowing
every second.
Lewis Mark Grimes reviews Stephen Nawotniak’s children’s book Mubu the Morph
Charming is the first word that comes to mind. Mubu the Morph is an anthropomorphized squiggle who takes on many forms. The metaphor for our species and indeed for all sentient life is a powerful one. Treating it to color and form in a children’s book is a perfect idea. What a great way to sneak tolerance of diversity into a seemingly harmless juvenile picture book.
The creatures are endearing and lovable. At least I fell in love.
The text is a mixture of poetry and prose poetry. I was favorably reminded of Ted Geisel’s (Dr. Seuss’s) work with its absurd sing song poems that engage a huge audience. Everyone from that audience would enjoy Mubu the Morph.
Stephen Nawotniak is a formidable writing talent and illustrations by Jeffrey Scott Perdziak were arresting and memorable.
This book is a 5 Star winner and a great gift in the under 11 reader category.
Poetry from Mahbub
O my dear
O my dear, you are not here
birds are calling the morning awakes
soft wind blows around me
the sun rays with glowing colours
The roses blossoming I like most
enchants me with its fragrance
O my dear, you are not here
I can hear, feel you just my bear
every time I pay heed to
in the world of silence
O my dear, though not here
every time you call me
the objects of nature beckoning
to see the glory of loving features.
Balubagan, Chapainawabganj
13/09/2015