ARTS INTERNATIONAL
Editor/Publisher, Bina Sharif
ARTS INTERNATIONAL covers THEATER, FILM, VISUAL ARTS, CUISINE, AND LITERATURE

Monday, March 28, 2011

LITERATURE

"YOU"

We are not the masters of life,
but the slaves of invisible and
uncontrolled events.

But we are also not the slaves of other men.

Whatever we may do, we do it by our own choice.
We may blame others,(which we often do) for our
actions but others have nothing to do with our choices.

So if we make a choice to be kind or generous
we can't blame and insult the one to whom we have been kind and generous to.
We may regret our choices,
we may yell and scream with unreasonable fury
and rage at others......
but no one forces us to do anything we don't want to do.

We do everything not because of others but
because of us.
None of us can blame others for our own choices but our own selves.

We can't even blame others for their cruel,
insulting and hurtful words.
Anyone who uttered them will eventually bear the burden.

Its not that,"YOU" disrespected me, disrespected the word,
friendship but "YOU" also disrespected yourself.

For the sake of my own grace and dignity and integrity,
I never ever snapped at you while you often did.....
Even when I paid you a compliment that you are so thin,
"YOU" snapped at me while I was standing at the bottom of your stairs in
your own building where I always came to see you, spending
hours upon hours of my valuable time like a fool giving you company,
loving you, sharing my knowledge, my intelligence, conversing with
you about all sorts of things and played and laughed with your son,
you forgetting all that in your temperamental mood swings
would snap at me and many times you would lose your temper for no reason
at your store where you were always busy making money,
and I was always busy wasting my time.

You see, you wanted some kind of social exchange
but you won't meet me or any other friends
any place else but your own store so you could keep working, making money while your friends would entertain you simultaneously and you won't lose a dollar either
but its not your fault, its the fault of some one like me who came to
attend to you at the expense of their own ,"TIME"

You could have at least appreciated them but you felt you had an ,"ENTITLEMENT"
over them because you had wealth and they didn't.

But they had wealth, they had the ability to be kind to you, not to insult you, to respect you
and be gracious and grateful whenever you were generous.

But to you, giving some one some dollars is the only generosity. You couldn't compare their time, and talent and company as they giving you something also.
Actually they were giving you something which is and always will be
priceless.
No amount of wealth in the world can pay for love, affection, friendship and especially, "TIME"
God hasn't given any one the kind of wealth to repay for other people's valuable ,"TIME"

But they were, especially me was foolish to spend it on you and not on me and my work.
You could have been grateful but instead you want more, more control over human beings.
But human beings are not for sale.
There is not enough money to buy a person.
You made one mistake.
You wanted to buy a friends time for a few dollars.
No, honey, the dollar for that friend is a hateful green color.
Keep the money.
Let me keep my time for myself.
I like this exchange.
I can go ahead and read a book with that valuable time
I can write a poem................
I have time to think and read and write.
I am blessed
Who cares for any one's goodness in the shape and the color of a dollar
especially when they are going to remind you of that eventually,
"I HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD TO YOU. REMEMBER THAT. MY GOODNESS
WAS A DOLLAR I GAVE YOU."
"BUT YOUR TIME WAS OF NO IMPORTANCE. IT WAS COLORLESS. I VALUE GREEN."

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

LITERATURE:

ZULEKHA ZALI

MENAGERIE OF WORDS
A
COLLECTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS OF
PROSE POEMS,UNCONSCIOUSNESS OF THOUGHTS,
WORDS STREWN TOGETHER, WORDS OUT OF CONTEXT,
WORDS OUT OF SHAPE,WORDS NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING,
WORDS JUMPING FROM ONE THOUGHT TO ANOTHER, POEMS
PERISHING,THOUGHTS PERISHING,NO LONGEVITY OF THOUGHT,
NO CONTINUITY OF THOUGHT,NO NOVEL COMING OUT OF A THOUGHT,
NO CONSTANT IDEAS,NO CONNECTION WITH THE FREE FLOWING,EVER
DISTURBING SO CALLED, "NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION" VS,"POSITIVE ASSOCIATION"
OF A THOUGHT, OF MANY THOUGHTS, OF UN-ENDING, RAMBLING THOUGHTS,
NON COHERENT, UN-ENDING FLOW OF THOUGHTS,THOUGHTS NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING FORWARD MOVING AND STILL CONNECTED TO THE MOVEMENT OF NO MOVEMENT AT ALL.

LOVE OF A THOUGHT, LOVE OF A CONSTANT FLOW OF THOUGHT, DISTURBING, PLEASING, HAPPY, UNHAPPY, FULFILLING, EMPTY, VACANT, EVAPORATING
THOUGHTS.

DISTURBANCES OF ALL KINDS NAMED,"POEMS"
DISTURBANCES OF CONSTANT ANGAST NAMED,"PROSE POEMS"
DISTURBANCES OF NOT KNOWING, NEVER KNOWING, SEARCHING, CONSTANTLY SEARCHING BUT SEARCHING WHAT?

EVERY DAY THE SAME.............
THE SAMENESS OF EVERY DAY'S THOUGHT NAMED A,"MONOLOGUE" A<"DIALOGUE"
A,'DIALOGUE OF NOTHING"

A, "DIALOGUE OF NOTHINGNESS BETWEEN NOTHINGNESS"
AN EGO OF IMPORTANCE VS AN EGO OF NO IMPORTANCE
WHAT'S BETTER?
EGO?
OR NO EGO?
OR A LITTLE EGO VS A BIG EGO?
A BALANCE BETWEEN A LITTLE BIT OF EGO VS NO EGO AT ALL.
PESSIMISM VS OPTIMISM?

WHO SAYS, PESSIMISM IS NO GOOD?
WHO SAYS OPTIMISM IS BETTER?
BETTER THAN WHAT?
WHOSE DEFINITION HOLDS TRUTH?
IS THERE A, "TRUTH?"

WHAT IS TRUTH?
WHOSE TRUTH?
YOURS OR MINE?
UNIVERSAL
WHO DEFINED UNIVERSAL TRUTH?
WHO BENEFITS FROM THAT UNIVERSAL TRUTH?

TO TELL THE TRUTH OR TO NOT TELL THE TRUTH?
THAT'S THE QUESTION
TELL THE TRUTH AS YOU SEE IT
GET RIDICULED
DO NOT TELL THE TRUTH AS YOU SEE IT
BE ASHAMED
TELL THE TRUTH AS YOU SEE IT
BE STARVED
BE UN-POPULAR
GET ISOLATED
NO PART OF A SO CALLED,"COMMUNITY"
TELL THE TRUTH AS YOU SEE IT
BE ALONE
DO NOT COMPLAIN
BE SATISFIED IN YOUR ISOLATION
BE CONTENT IN YOUR LONELINESS

DO NOT TELL THE TRUTH AS YOU SEE IT
BE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE HAPPY TO HEAR IT FROM YOUR MOUTH
GET SOME BONE THROWN AT YOU LIKE A DOG
WAG YOUR TAIL
LICK THE BONE
BE THANKFUL
NOW YOU ARE PART OF A GROUP WHO ACCEPTS YOU
PART OF A GROUP WHO THROWS A BONE AT YOU FOR YOU TO LICK

BE HAPPY
BE CONTENT
BE INCLUDED
REPEAT WHAT OTHERS SAY
REPEAT WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR
THEY WILL THROW SOME MORE CRUMBS AT YOU
YOU DON'T WANT TO STARVE?
DO YOU?
NO YOU DON'T WANT TO STARVE?

YOU WANT TO HAVE SHAME?
NO YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE SHAME EITHER

SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
SAY YOUR OWN WORDS TO YOURSELF
SAY YOUR OWN WORDS FOR YOUR SELF
HAVE THE INCOHERENT THOUGHTS FOR YOUR OWN SELF
HAVE THE CONSCIOUS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS
RAMBLING WORDS AND SENTENCES OUT OF SHAPE WITH TYPOS AND BAD GRAMER
FOR YOUR SELF
YOU CAN TAKE IT
YOU ARE STRONG
YOU ARE SURREALISTIC
YOU LIKE BAUDELAIRE
YOU LIKE POE
YOU LIKE RIMBAUD
DON'T YOU?
YES YOU DO
VERY MUCH SO
YOU TOLD ME
NOW DON'T YOU GO BACK ON WHAT YOU TOLD ME ONCE
NOT ONLY ONCE
MANY TIMES
MANY, MANY TIMES...............................

HAVE THEM CONSTANTLY IN YOUR THINKING
HAVE THEM CONSTANTLY IN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS
HAVE THEM CONSTANTLY IN YOUR UN-CONSCIOUSNESS

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?
DON'T TRY TO BE GREEDY
BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT
DON'T TRY TO BE WHAT YOU ARE NOT
WHAT YOU CAN NEVER BE
WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE TO BE
DON'T LIKE TO BE LIKE OTHERS
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY,"OTHERS" ARE OUT THERE/
MILLIONS
BILLIONS
CRAWLING ON THE FACE OF THIS MISERABLE EARTH LIKE WORMS
LIKE INSECTS
AFRAID OF THIS AND AFRAID OF THAT
AFRAID OF,"AUTHORITY"
ALWAYS AFRAID OF,"AUTHORITY"
THAT'S WHAT."AUTHORITY" MEANS
FEAR.................
A POWERFUL EMOTION
FEAR CREATED IN OTHERS BY THE POWER OF,"AUTHORITY"

DON'T FEAR LIKE THE BILLIONS
YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM
YOU ARE ALONE
ALL ALONE BY YOUR SELF
WITHOUT A MOTHER
WITHOUT A FATHER
WITHOUT A COUNTRY
WITHOUT A CULTURE
WITHOUT A LANGUAGE
WITHOUT THE SEASONS
WITHOUT, WITHOUT, WITHOUT EVERYTHING

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE AFRAID OF LOSING?
YOU LOST IT ALL......................

BUT YOU HAVE YOUR RAMBLING SENTENCES
WOVEN OUT OF YOUR RAMBLING THOUGHTS

YOU CAN CALL THAT ANYTHING YOU WANT

A POEM
A PROSE POEM
A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
AN AWAKE KIND OF THOUGHT
A COMA-TOZED THOUGHT
A DEAD THOUGHT EVEN
BUT A THOUGHT NEVER THE LESS
NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF ANY PUBLISHING HOUSE
OR AN EDITOR
OR A DRAMATURGE
OR A GRANT GIVER
OR AN,"AUTHORITY"
WHICH CONTROLS
WHICH APPROVES

DON'T SEEK APPROVAL
REMEMBER WHAT VIRGINIA WOLF SAID?
"DON'T TRY TO PLEASE."
"DON'T SEEK APPROVAL"

DISPLEASE YOURSELF IF YOU WANT
PLEASE YOUR SELF IF YOU WANT
HATE YOURSELF IF YOU WANT
APPROVE OF YOUR SELF IF YOU WANT
DO NOTHING IF YOU WANT
BE ALONE IF YOU WANT
BE IN A GROUP IF YOU WANT
LAUGH IF YOU WANT
SOB IF YOU WANT

YOU SEE HOW ALONE YOU ARE.............
NO STOPPING OF ANY KIND OF EMOTION BY ANY ONE....................

THAT'S THE EVENTUAL ACHIEVEMENT
YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL NOW
YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL IN AN INDIVIDUALISTIC SOCIETY
THAT'S THE SUCCESS
YOU CAN FEND FOR YOUR SELF
YOU CAN WELCOME ANY EMOTION IN YOUR LIFE
YOU CAN REJECT ANY EMOTION IN YOUR LIFE

YOU CAN THINK, CRY, BE ANGRY, HIT SOME ONE, HIT YOURSELF, BREAK YOUR TEA CUPS, BE COMPOSED,HAVE DARJEELING TEA IN YOUR CUPS INSTEAD OF BREAKING
IT.........................

WEAR FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR
OR SHAVE YOUR HEAD
BE WELL DRESSED
OR BE A BUM
BATHE OR DON'T BATHE...............
PERFUME YOUR SELF
OR HAVE A ROTTEN STENCH

BE SILENT
OR SCREAM
WALK OR SIT
EAT
OR STARVE YOURSELF

CONTACT PEOPLE
OR HAVE NO ONE TO CONTACT
OR HAVE NO DESIRE TO CONTACT ANY PEOPLE ANYWHERE.................

YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS................
THEY WILL ALL DISAPPEAR EVENTUALLY EVEN IF THEY WERE EVER
PART OF YOUR LIFE BEFORE...............
THEY WILL DISAPPEAR........
NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.....

BUT ONE THING WILL NEVR LEAVE YOU
YOU AND YOUR THOUGHTS............
RAMBLING THOUGHTS
CONNECTED THOUGHTS
UN=CONNECTED THOUGHTS
POEMS
PROSE POEMS
WORDS...
SENTENCES
RAMBLING SENTENCES MAKING NO SENSE TO ANY ONE
BUT THEY ARE YOURS AND WILL ALWAYS BE YOURS
THEY WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU TILL THE END
THEY WILL GET MORE CONFUSED
MORE CONFUSING
MORE I COHERENT
MORE OUT OSF SHAPE
OUT OF FORM
MORE OUT OF A NARRATIVE
MORE OUT OF A STORY TELLERS SKILLS

THEY WILL RAMBLE IN YOUR DREAMS
IN YOUR NIGHTMARES
THEY WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE ALL NIGHT
THEY WILL SCARE YOU WHEN YOU ARE FAST A SLEEP
THEY WILL TAKE YOU TO YOUR BIRTH
TO YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER
TO YOUR CHILDHOOD HOME
TO YOUR CELL OF AN APT
TO THE AIRY FIELDS WITH JASMINE SCENT
TO THE SMELL OF PISS AND SHIT IN THE PARK
WHERE THE DOGS WILL BARK AT YOU AND SCARE YOU
WHERE THE OWNERS OF THE DOGS WILL ALSO BARK AT YOU AND SCARE YOU OUT OF YOUR WITS IF YOU HAVE ANY LEFT............
WHERE THE MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WILL REDUCE YOU TO SHREDS WITH THEIER
SUPERIORITY OF FERTILITY AND THEIR CHOICES AND THEIR SUPER WOMEN
POWERS................................
WHERE YOU WILL BE UN-ABLE TO ASSERT YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU NEITHER HAVE A DOG, NOR A CHILD, NOR A BABY CARAGE OR A LEASH OR A NANY FROM NORT AFRICA
NOR A MAN NEXT TO YOU WHO IS A CORRUPT SO CALLED, "FINANCIER"

NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF A."FINANCIER"
MUST MANAGE FINANCE
I WONDER IF HE MANGES HIS FINANCE OR SOME ONE ELSE'S
AND IF HE MANGES HIS OWN FINANCES OW DID HE GET THE FINANCES TO MANGE
TO BEGIN WITH?
AND IF HE MANGES OTHER PEOPLE'S FINANCES HOW DID THEY HIRE HIM WITHOUT
ANY FINANCES OF HIS OWN?
OH! WELL TO MUCH FOR SOME ONE TO UNDERSTAND, THE WORD, FINANCE
FOR SOME ONE WHO JUST RAMBLES ALONG............DAY AND NIGHT WITH
INCORRECT GRAMMAR ......................................

PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS OF,"RAMBLING THOUGHTS AND UNCONNECTED,
INCOHERENT, IN COHERENT THOUGHTS AND POEMS MADE OUT OF THOSE DISCONNECTED THOUGHTS CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORD,"FINANCE"

ANOTHER WORD I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO COMPREHEND EITHER
AND THAT IS, "CONSULTANT."
"CONSULTANCY"

WHAT DO THEY CONSULT?
WHAT DO THEY NEED A CONSULTANT FOR?
WHAT IS A CONSULTANT ANY WAY?

WELL! SHOULDN'T BOTHER WITH SUCH COMPLICATED WORDS..............
JUST RAMBLE ALONG, RAMBLE ALONG.......

MAKE UP YOUR OWN WORDS
YOUR OWN SENTENCES
YOUR OWN POEMS
YOUR OWN PROSE POEMS
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO AN EDITOR TO BE CORRECTED
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO TO A PUBLISHER TO BE PUBLISHED............

PUBLISHED FOR WHAT PURPOSE?
PUBLISHED FOR WHOM?

YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO BARK AT YOU LIKE DOGS IN THE PARK AND PEOPLE
AT ALL CROSSROADS WHO WANTS TO SMASH YOUR TOES AND SHOULDER BLADES TO SMITHREENS ON THE SIDE WALKS ARE GOING TO READ YOUR RAMBLE AFTER YOU ARE DEAD AND GONE?

"OH! POOR THING, WE BARKED AT HER WHEN SHE WAS LIVING, LETS READ HER POETRY NOW"

YOU THINK THEY ARE GOING TO GET THAT BOOK WHICH SOME GODFORSAKEN
ARROGANT SON OF A BITCH MIGHT PUBLISH OUT OF A BLUNDER OF HIS LIFE TIME?

RAMBLE ON...................
THAT'S YOUR VOCATION
YOU ARE BORN TO POSSESS, "MENAGERIE OF WORDS"
AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STRING THEM ALONG LIKE FLOWERS ON A THREAD
AND MAKE A GARLAND OUT OF IT..................

WHO CARES IF THE COLORS OF THE FLOWERS DON'T FIT NEXT TO EACH OTHERS?
WHO CARES IF THE JASMINE IS NEXT TO THE SUN FLOWER OR NEXT TO THE DAFFODILS?

THEY ARE FLOWERS NEVERTHELESS
AND THEY ARE YOUR FLOWERS
AND YOU ARRANGED THEM INTO A GARLAND OF YOUR OWN ESSENCE AND YOUR
OWN DISCONNECTED THOUGHT OF THAT MOMENT.

YOUR GARLAND HAS YOUR OWN PECULIAR AND SPECIAL SCENT..............
PEOPLE REMEMBER PEOPLE BY THEIR SCENT.
THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU BY YOUR SCENT AND BY YOUR
MENAGERIE OF WORDS....................................

AND IF THEY DON'T?
WHO CARES.............WHO CARES...............WHO CARES..................
YOU DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE ANY WAY
YOU ONLY HAD WORDS..............
A DELICATE, TENDER, MELODIOUS, SAD MENAGERIE OF WORDS.