Art: Oleanders by Vincent van Gogh
The Flower by Alexander Pushkin
A dried-out flower without fragrance
Forgotten in a book I see;
My soul’s somehow already racing
And fills with a strange reverie.
Where did it bloom? In which spring? When?
Did it bloom long? Who picked it then?
By stranger’s hand or by a friend?
Who put it here and to what end?
In memory of tender trysting
Or else of fateful parting day?
Or else perhaps a lone walk wistful
In silent fields and wooded shade?
Do he and she still live, I wonder?
And where now is their little nook?
Or have they faded, lost their luster,
Like this small flower in this book?
Other poems on flowers I enjoyed reading:
"In the hierarchy
of flowers, the wild
rise on their stems
for naming.
Call them weeds.
I pick them as I
picked you,
for their fierce,
unruly joy." -from Wildflowers by Linda Pastan " I was carrying
your flowers and a coffee cup
and a soft yellow handbag and a book
of poems by a Chinese poet, in
which I had just read the words “come
or go but don’t just stand there
in the doorway,” as usual I was
carrying too many things, you
would have laughed if you saw me."
-from Flowers by Cynthia Zarin
"O! my heart now feels so cheerful as I go with footsteps light
In the daily toil of my dear home;
And I’ll tell to you the secret that now makes my life so bright—
There’s a flower at my window in full bloom.
It is radiant in the sunshine, and so cheerful after rain;
And it wafts upon the air its sweet perfume.
It is very, very lovely! May its beauties never wane—
This dear flower at my window in full bloom."
-from The Flower at My Window by Lucian B. Watkins
"Now it’s time for the lilac, blazon of spring, the prince
of plants whose name I know only when it blooms.
The blooms called forth by a bare measure of warmth,
days that are more chill than warm, though the roots must
know, and the leaves, and the spindly trunks ganged up
by the trash bins behind our houses." -from The Names by Rick Barot
Recommended Listening:
Carl Sagan And Ann Druyan’s Ultimate Mix Tape (also, did you know that Carl Sagan smoked pot?)
Peanuts Gang Singing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Heartbreak Anniversary - Giveon Whitsand Bay - Metronomy
Links of the Week:
Kintsugi 2020
How to survive a deadly global virus by Max Siedentopf Charlotte's Daydream Photographer Captures the Cast of ‘Little Women’ in Traditional Wet Plate Portraits Floral-and-Frond Compositions Shape Energetic Wildlife by Raku Inoue (Raku's back!) Is it cancelled yet?
Pennsylvania man's wilderness camera captures all walks of life (must watch)
ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Alipore Post Online is coming soon to a screen near you!
COVID-19 has taken over our lives. And it's heartbreaking to see this kind of dystopia as a reality all around, and more so, the oblivion and ignorance. Of course the world as we know it is no longer the same. But in these terrible times, I've been finding comfort in the tweets of strangers, in the stories of the medical fraternity worldwide stepping up, in the connections being made during this isolating time of our lives.
With the COVID-19 scare keeping most of the world at home and social distancing amplifying the feeling of isolation, I'm happy to announce The Alipore Post Online, an online festival of creativity that takes place on March 21st (World Poetry Day), 9am to 11pm IST, and hopes to inspire people from the safety of their homes.
The idea is to create an online space for over 30 artists, poets, musicians, chefs, photographers and other wonderful people to engage with the creative community while we collectively experiencing shutdown mode.
Follow the updates on Instagram @thealiporepost, and attend the festival by tuning in to Instagram Live thisSaturday.
See you there,
Rohini :)