UNSEEN WARFARE ; 26 Nov 2023

                                                          UNSEEN WARFARE

 

---“If learned men force instruction into the ears of the ignorant and thereby incur disrespect, the fault is their own. Why blame others when with all their wide learning, they know not the nature of those others ?” (Ed) T. B. Krishnaswami : “TEN TAMIL ETHICS.” Madras, India : The South India Saiva Sidhanta Works Publishing Society, 1937. Full acknowledgements are made to the authors, publishers and rights-holders.  

 

---“When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work.” --Jean Cocteau (1889-1963)

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My stuff had I post’d many a time

And ‘twas accept’d promptly.

Few read, few were interest’d,

Still, I plodd’d on.

 

Even the new writings appear’d

For some time,

Thirty-one of them.

Then blocking start’d,

A war that hides its name,

That remains anonymous…

 

Reject’d without a word,

Without any explanation,

Without any hint about anything…

A warfare that even hides its name…

 

Yet, bland works be splash’d all over,

Mere blabber,

Without head or tail,

Clueless,

Rambling…

 

More valuable stuff be reject’d,

For, no value be seen,

No value be apparent…  

So be it,

We be expect’d to fall in line

To toe the line,

To churn out the usual bland stuff…

 

Still, must we thank

The rare ones that be broad-mind’d,

That get their priorities right,

That understand the advancement

Of the arts.

No wonder they be careering ahead…

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Soman Ragavan

26 November, 2023.

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