Spring bursts in like a popped balloon.
Crocus, snowdrop, daffodil,
straining upwards through muddy earth.
Entries from February 2009
February 26, 2009
Surprise!
February 24, 2009
Amplify or Simplify?
I’ve been building up to last weekend’s performances for a long time so it’s a bit of a release now that they’re over. Saturday was a violin concert and Sunday a dance performance as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the ISTD South Asian Dance Faculty. The dance show was particularly exciting, as it [...]
February 19, 2009
Morning Wisdom from the Gaza Desert
Unceasing calling upon the name of God cures one not only of passions, but also of actions; and as a medicine affects a sick man without his comprehension, similarly the invocation of the name of God destroys passions in a manner beyond our comprehension.
-St. Barsanuphius the Great, of Gaza (Palestine)
I came across this beautiful quote [...]
February 19, 2009
The Chicken Soup Trap
I’m in the process of creating a radio programme about kirtan at the moment, for a final year university project. It’s aimed at people who know little, or nothing about kirtan, and will include interviews with a wide range of people whose lives are affected by it. Yesterday I went for a tutorial with my [...]
February 12, 2009
Cold Town, Girl In The City
What a day. I’m so used to waking up in the countryside -well, pretty much the country. Surrounded by fields, my town is just far enough outside of London to be peaceful in the morning. Today I woke up in Southall, West London – otherwise known as Punjabi central. I wrote about it in another [...]
February 9, 2009
Just Like Heart Thunder
Today is the appearance day of Narottama das Thakur. Last year at this time I was lucky enough to be in Vrindavan, and go for my second visit to the Radha Vrajmohan temple, where his deities are still being worshipped. It is a beautiful place, set deep within a series of turning alleys. The chaotic [...]
February 5, 2009
Slip and Slide
We’ve had an unprecedented amount of winter weather in the past few days. It’s almost as if all those empty weather warnings of the past decade have finally been fulfilled – all at once. This morning it was still snowing but as the day went on, the air warmed a little and it began to [...]
February 3, 2009
Upcoming Events – February 2009
Just a quick plug for a few things coming up – some of which I’m taking part in. On the 15th, a dynamic play entitled ‘Peace In The Middle East’ will be presented at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Exploring themes of conflict, reincarnation and the ultimate goal of life, it stars the enthusiastic young men currently on [...]
February 3, 2009
La Joie De La Neige
I wake to quiet, muffled sound,
ceiling bathed in telltale light.
Each ridged roof, iced smooth,
the street transformed overnight.
Soft drifts piled against every door,
rows of cars, smothered and stilled,
cookie cut footprints, punched down a path,
tables covered, flowerpots filled.
Curtains part at a nearby window,
mother and baby watch, enthralled,
warm, inside their dark bedroom,
pointing at the flakes that fall.
More faces [...]
