Saturday, March 27, 2010

one single impression: avatar


Dredging the mud
And silt below it
The ocean sets the table
For the hungry sandpiper
The bird knows what it knows
That the ocean will provide
The bird fears what it fears
That the ocean will also devour
If given the chance
The ocean, for its part
Simply does what it does
What it has always done
What it will always do
Rake the bottom
And deposit the catch
Along the shoreline
For any who come
The birds know this
They come to visit
Take their fill then leave
To flock with others of their kind
Leaving the ocean
To do what it does
Secure in the knowledge
That the ocean will be there
To do what it has always done
Perhaps this is the reason
The waves sigh

About this piece: In Hindu myth, an Avatar is a representation of Bhagwan (God) in some anthromorphic form. Hinduism is not -- as it is often thought -- a polytheistic religion. It is polymorphic, with the underlying principles being that Bhagwan may take any form, and that when humankind has needed it s/he has taken such a form and appeared among us. They are joined by Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and others throughout history who needed to put a face on the almighty. To translate the divine into terms they/we could understand. Similarly, we confer human attributes on everything from dogs to automobiles to oceans. Thinking about that is what led me to this piece. (You had to be there.)

About the photo: Taken at North Topsail Beach in July of 2009 just after sunrise. The ocean does indeed provide for us all. Even the photographer hungry for an image.

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18 comments:

Daryl said...

another perfect union

Maggie May said...

That is a great photo of a great little sandpiper and I like the prose too.

Nuts in May

zoya gautam said...

hi mojo ,

great write!

just a word about hinduism - the religion i have been born into ..

as i gather, hinduism is perhaps the only religion in the world which believes that ' the almighty ' is both " saakaar " _
the Form & " niraakaar " -the Formless _

it believes the devotee can find him in the pebble & the mountain or inside one's own breath

_ it is a matter of realization _ but then i am no expert & the vedas & the upanishads may have the answers ..

many thanks ..

Stan Ski said...

Wonders such as this lead us to believe in a Master with a Masterplan. We'll find out soon enough.

Gemma Wiseman said...

The poem seems to refresh old philosophies on reasons for every season! Fascinating and haunting! Enjoyed your post comments too!

SandyCarlson said...

Perhaps, yes. Beautiful. Right down to and through the silt.

Anonymous said...

I like that you went straight to the Hindu origin and definition; it's unfortunate that the recent movie has all but obliterated the meaning of the word.

Your words, your photo, the insightful follow through- a priceless, dimensional response to this prompt.

Robin said...

Beautifully done. Gorgeous picture and wonderful poem. I love the last line!

Beth P. said...

Mojo--
This is an amazing piece about the illusion and how it makes us both long for more and less...

Beautiful image and words to match.

Thank you!

Vinay Leo R. said...

very beautifully said! :)
thanks for the about too! :)

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have heard the waves sigh. Beautiful presentation and a very nice blog.

Tumblewords: said...

Excellent! I hear the sigh of the waves as they go about doing what it is they do. A natural spiral.

Tammie Lee said...

wonderful piece, you took me there. I like to think of god as the breath of life, all life.

Unknown said...

I love watching them running into and out of the water while eating little things that I can't see. :)

Patti said...

Very nicely written and I really liked your explanation. I loved the lines about "does what it does..."

Anonymous said...

there is nothing so heavenly as the ocean ..and the sighing of waves is a perfect reflection of what is found there...

gabrielle said...

the waves sigh, knowing it is enough.
beautiful!

Aayushi Mehta said...

That was just beautiful!

"Perhaps this is the reason
The waves sigh"

And the perfect shot to go with it!
And really good explanation about Hinduism to go with the prompt.