from w
As the lurching and cruel words in Fiji continue to cause fear in the community and we pray earnestly for common sense to prevail, I am reminded of words from a poem by Yeats and a song by Leonard Cohen. In Fiji there's a song genre called lele which means lamentation, which can mean a loss of love or more. I certainly feel very saddened by the turn of events and pray for people who are in positions of power to turn around the situation, away from a lopsided, divisive and dangerous pathway.
Part of a poem by Yeats:
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Leonard Cohen’ song Hallelujah
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah etc.
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4 comments:
The Fiji Village Yellow Bucket is often humorous, sarcastic, ironic, but yesterday (November 27) it was rather insightful. It's not academic writing but the author seemed to have picked up on some the aspects of the current situation in Fiji.
Now it's evening of 28th and there is some hope as a meeting has been brokered in New Zealand by PM Helen to get the two 'actors in the current drama' together, maybe to compromise, or else play rock, scissors, paper, or something to calm things down.
W.
Well, the meeting in Wellington went ahead - for two hours, then Frank Bainimarama said he had to fly back to Fiji.
Meanwhile the military are 'securing' areas of Suva tonight and practising firing into the sea! Sounds ominous to me.
Have a 'merry' Christian and a 'prosperous' New Year - we should be saying - and wishing.
Isa Viti.
W.
Wow - that bit about Suva does not sound promising.
nzm
Some might say they are posturing, showing their strength, partly to do with a meeting in Australia this coming Friday where Pacific leaders talk about 'what to do with the situation in Fiji'. But I am not always an optimist and remember the consequences other times when men with guns scared people so much. It seems so unreal because Suva can be a good place to live.
W.
PS And now an Australian Black Hawk helicopter has gone down into the sea this afternoon - most of the men were rescued so far I think. The helicopter was on one of the Australian warships waiting off Fiji in case they are needed to 'rescue' Australians! What about my extended family there without Oz visas!
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