Vol. 17, Autumn 2010
Poetry | Cambodia
Before the Bones
Peauladd Huy
The Mango Tree
I know my time is near.
Outside, the mango tree has been empty
for quite some time now; newer leaves
are now budding with clustered flowers.
Not long now till the buds
mature, weighing down
the branches. Sometimes, the limb knows
how fragile the mind can be: too much, and it stops
redirecting – starts to believe
that harm comes from flaws
in former lives. Unredeemed sins.
This torture.
The pain is sharper now, the world more blurred –
bars lining the window, a gentler
smeary-grey. The shackles blend
metal into flesh. How is it possible
for other humans to devise these tortures,
to have the courage to stomp upon
already hollow bodies?
O unspeakable human facility
to harm one another.
The mangoes ripen; the birds, the flies
and squirrels will help themselves
to the ones high up; and those that fall
will be eaten by worms.
I think that those same worms
which have made me
and my grave-mates into soil and bones
will eat those sweet, fallen mangoes.
9 comments:
HS -- what about this poem? What is the reason for you to post this? Do Koun Khmers suppose to learn something from this??
HS -- Person comes and goes in this world and that is the natural stage of being. There is nothing last forever! Include the mango three and to that matter Mr. Hun Sen as well. The question is what does one/tree does in between the period of time that is matter!!
my English skill is not enough good to understand the poem .please talk a plain sentence in order to make me understand better
Every living being/thing are born to serve, not to be serve. And if they thinks that they are born to be consume; than they bring the suffering upon themselves! At the end, the sweet mango still be eaten, disappear, and integrate back into the earth! The earth will be filtilize than born again the sweet mango. Thus, the sweet innate imbed within the mango has never gone away! it still sweet!
Can anybody explain to 5:28 am to translate this poem into plain English! HS -- any free time from you to help our bloggers? Thanks.
Any bloggers want to understand further on the sweet mango tree, I would strongly recomment to read the 8 or 10 painting serries about the baffaloe boy from zen. I find it a really good story and I really enjoy the painting!
រីជនគ្រប់រូប សម្បត្តិមាសប្រាក់ យកទៅមិនបាន
សូម្បីខ្លួនប្រាណ គេសែងទៅដុត។
ដើមស្វាយមួយដើម ទ្រាំបានក៏មិនយូរ
ថ្ងៃណាមួយគង់តែវិនាស។
មានជីវិត អត់ជីវិត មិនមែនជាអមតៈទេ
ការស្លាប់ពុកផុយ ទើបប្រាកដជាអមតៈ។
10:32 am,
You made this sound really nice,at the same time is very true---
"មានជីវិត អត់ជីវិត មិនមែនជាអមតៈទេ
ការស្លាប់ពុកផុយ ទើបប្រាកដជាអមតៈ។"---Thanks,
Sa tout,
But is we can clearly understand that everything are interdependent and everything is one (which under Maslow -- the highest level to be reach of self actualization) ... that is to be able to see ourselves as part of the whole of the leaving being (whether people, animal or tree). I think Khmer culture also believe that trees have life! It can feel pain and have to spirit to touch the quiet soul.
BY THE WAY! SOME WORM EAT THE MANGO HIGHT UP ON THE TREE BEFORE THE BIRD GET IT!
AND IS NOT THE SAME WORM THAT EAT YOUR BODY!
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