Of course many do not see the topic as art, many others do. This fellow, Bill Wildt, (alas he’s gone) did a community TV show on the motor arts…there are many episodes of highly creative machines and artists.

So for the motorhead gang…enjoy! > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suUN1mWtmRk

(I particularly enjoyed episode 18 on the rocket powered motorcycles and cars… one evidently went 400 mph in a 1/4 mile! I’ve seen the jets myself, but the rockets are all in the wild history almost nobody knows)

episode 17…rocketpowered VW and stuff like that…https://youtu.be/zD6qdA-VVwU

Image is two rocket motors in a test stand mounted in Wildt’s van…

episode 18…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL6My1_-3aY&t=600s

What I think about when I see this art history is the lost memories of the home workshops and the people that built these machines…lost scenes of hot summer nights when the US had industrial shops and men and a few ladies who had the will and the paychecks to create their art.

From what little I’ve seen, some similar art was incipient in the USSR (ice racing motorcycles and such) and is exploding in modern Russia…when will see the dry-lake world land speed record taken by a Russian or a Chinese or Iranian artist? I’d like to see that. I expect to.

Beautiful people with heavenly voices:

Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky – Moscow Nights

Bring me to life
I’ve been livin’ a lie
There’s nothing inside
Bring me to life

Lagu Free Palestine / Biarkan Mereka Tersenyum Dmai – Arraka;

“A gentle breeze softly blows, carrying the stench of blood in the air. Millions of lives have drifted away— when will peace finally come? For decades, the bombs have fallen, the skies shrouded in smoke and sorrow. Children cry in hunger, their mothers and fathers gone. We will never stand in silence, we will keep calling out for justice. We are not blind, we are not deaf— this truth must rise, unwavering. Free Palestine! release the souls in chains. Erase the shadows of despair, let them smile in peace”

Don’t let your voice be a lullaby for me,

it’s the lonely part of my heart,

don’t just let your name be in my heart.

The world is full of sadness for me.

Do not walk away from my heart.

Stay with me, my love, whatever happens,

you’re my eyes, I’m attached to your eyes,

the world is mine, when you’re by my side,

I’ll always stick to the promise I made with you.

My heart is missing you, the sky falls by your departure,

if not for you, who can I rest my head with

my heart hurts by your absence

the fragrance of your skin,

does not cover my heart,

the streets are empty,

my hands have become hot,

I am sad because of your absence.

Stay with me, my love, whatever happens,

you’re my eyes, I’m attached to your eyes,

the world is mine, when you’re by my side,

I’ll always stick to the promise I made with you.

Fire consumes
all in its path,
so too it is with love.

After The Fire Came

I used to be rich,
But now I’m poor.
Fell from the cradle
Down to the floor.
I used to lie awake,
A prisoner of war;
Before the fire came
And evened the score.

I used to be a king,
A man of great renown.
Waited on by servants,
Entertained by clowns.
Holding court for days
Deep in my compound,
Before the fire came,
And razed it to the ground.

I used to be a hunter
Eager for the fray.
Never quite alive
Till the hunt was underway.
Lining up my trophies
Until that fateful day,
Before the fire came,
And I became the prey.

I used to think I knew
All the ways of love.
Never showed my hand,
Kept it in my glove.
Always held my ground
When push it came to shove,
Before the fire came
And the eagle took the dove!

Was it an hour
Or was it a day,
When that searing heat
Finally allayed?
Now, I’m marked to know
What words can never say,
After the fire came…
There simply is no way.

14 07 2025

Some lines from her poem “The Orphan’s Tear” by Parvin Etesami

“From every street and roof rose joyous shouts;

The king that day was passing through the town

An orphan boy amidst this speaks his doubts,

What is that sparkle that’s atop his crown?

Someone replied: that’s not for us to know,

But it’s a priceless thing, that’s clear!

A crone approached, her twisted back bent low,

She said: that’s your heart’s blood and my eye’s tear!

We were deceived by shepherd’s staff and robe

He is a wolf; for many years he’s known the flock.

The saint who craves control is but a rogue

A beggar is a king who robs his flock.

Upon the orphan’s tears keep fixed your gaze.

‘Til you see from where comes the jewel’s glow.

How can straight talk help those of crooked ways?

And frank words will to most folk deal a blow.”

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/234334/The-queen-of-Persian-verse-Inside-the-soul-of-Parvin-Etesami

Haiku Sequence

The Bottom of the Well

the parting gift;
a priceless jewel, to be
treasured or thrown away

the wailing of the bells;
a blind knife thrower and
the woman who loves him

alone in the frosty night,
the crying naked officer;
lost what he’d found again

moaning in the bottom
of the well; this longing
I have for you!

around midnight,
a company of five deer
grazing on the lawn

Joe Bonamassa

Just a tad of Fela Kuti

See Ya on the other side. RIP

The Desert of the Lost

the desert of the lost;
a world of ghosts and
rootless wanderers

the over-fed dog ;
“I will not be fighting
the lion today!”

the doubter’s blackened face;
pedants and sophists
masquerading in whiteface

the ugly to the mirror;
“your arrogance
is unbecoming!”

he who entertains
imagined fancies finds
fault with the real world

alone among the stars,
a rambling king; “The rank
and file must be mad!”

the gracious heart;
“this dark cloak has blinded
me to all but thee!”

23 07 2025

Elian Amer Marjieh, born in 2002 and known professionally as Elyanna, is a Palestinian singer-songwriter merging Arabic music with Latin rhythms to create an experimental Arab-pop sound.

Olive Branch

“Words aren’t enough, what else can I say?
My tears have dried out, and my heart is broken
I’m far away, but I’m praying for you
And I’m sending peace, on an olive branch
I’m far away, but I’m praying for you
And I’m sending peace, on an olive branch
In the land of peace, peace is dead
And the world is sleeping on a hurt child”

Music connects us.

❤️❤️ it Nico!

“And then there’s music. Oh, music. It’s more than just notes and melodies. Music is a universal language. It transcends borders, breaks down barriers, and speaks directly to the soul. When words fail, when our hearts ache with frustration, music offers a conduit for our deepest emotions. It’s a powerful tool for solidarity, a beacon of hope, and a vessel for love.”

Yes music connects us !

A Message for Palestine (Monolog) – Rimbiana;

The Palestine Smile – Rimbiana;

Rudy Ayoub X ARIA – YALLA

Something different .. I’ve seen such a thing before – forget about the 2nd post – no idea how to lose it lol. Dog has rhythm!

Lai Ching-Te👇 https://t.co/67xVaz2yRJ pic.twitter.com/FsAYsYK8Dc
— ShanghaiPanda (@thinking_panda) August 8, 2025

The Lord of Thieves

Down by the river the young bride pines,
Wiping away tears quietly shed.
Alone at the altar, dressed to the nines,
She knows deep inside she never will wed!

She foolishly fell for a handsome thief;
Left all she once had and knew to be true.
And in his arms sought relief,
From all of the fears she’d failed to subdue.

“Fine knaves one and all, with their swords and their greaves,
Surrender their wills, according to my pledge,”
With a wink and a smile, said the Lord of Thieves;
“And so live their lives on a razor’s edge!”

“Not each and every day will rhyme,
Whether we shape or accept our outcomes preset;
As we traverse the awful gulf of time,
Between what we want and eventually get!”

“Did he run far away, did he get cold feet?
Is he dangling from the gallows at the end of some rope?
Is this the final crushing defeat
To bring me to heel and give up all hope?”

“As the Lord of Thieves ‘tis not my concern,
A handful of silver is all I must cede.
Why should I care should fools crash and burn?
Why should I care for hearts that bleed?

I do everything to keep you amused,
And prevent you from meeting yourself as you are.
I do everything to keep you confused,
And your eye from wandering both near and afar.

Thus emburdened you enter, bloodied and wan,
Unaware of the ways you’ve been secretly blessed;
Only when all hope is finally gone…
Do I step aside and make way for the Guest!”

13 08 2025

I thought it may be useful to anyone interested to add some clues as to the meanings I am alluding to in this poem.

The “Lord of Thieves” is a reference to the Being that is the Lord of this world, (and all other worlds premised on the ever-shifting movement between negative and positive, or dual polarities).

The “pledge” referred to is this Being’s undertaking to the spiritual hierarchy to keep Soul blinded to Its true nature. It does this mainly through encouraging attachment to various enticements it offers up, all of an illusory and temporary nature.

“The Guest” is another term used by Rumi, for “the Friend”, who guides Soul out of the labyrinth of the world and its entrapments. The Lord of Thieves steps aside when Soul finds the Friend and entrusts his spiritual welfare to him. This Being, aka the Inner Master, is not an intermediary between Soul and God, but a wayshower. He may take different forms acceptable to the individual.

With apologies, this partial rewrite and resequencing of the preceding poem expresses itself as well as reads better.

The Lord of Thieves

Down by the river the young bride pines,
Wiping away tears quietly shed.
Alone at the altar, dressed to the nines;
She knows deep inside she never will wed!

She foolishly fell for a handsome thief;
Left all she once had and knew to be true.
And in his arms sought relief,
From all of the fears she’d failed to subdue.

“Did he run far away, did he get cold feet?
Is he dangling from the gallows at the end of a rope?
Is this the final crushing defeat,
To bring me to heel and give up all hope?”

“He who in fealty to my ancient pledge,
Surrenders his will, and thereafter believes;
To live a life on the razor’s edge,
Is to wear a crown of laurel leaves!

As the Lord of Thieves my only concern,
Is the promise of silver I do concede.
Why should I care if fools crash and burn
Why should I care for hearts that bleed?

Not each and every day will rhyme,
Whether we shape or accept our outcomes preset.
As we traverse the awful gulf of time,
Between what we want and eventually get!

I do everything to keep you amused,
And prevent you from meeting yourself as you are.
I do everything to keep you confused,
And your eye from wandering near and far.

Thus emburdened you enter, bloodied and wan,
Unaware of the ways you’ve been secretly blessed;
Only when all hope is finally gone…
Do I step aside and make way for the Guest!”

Haiku Sequence;

The Tinkerer’s Cart

a world of scorched earth,
a single dandelion
catching my eye!

there’s a mystery deep inside;
he died a thousand deaths
yet lives!

as sweet as summer rain;
the rhythmic plucking of a bowed lute
in a dark recess

early morning,
her face like sunlight;
gazing into his eyes!

the muffled clatter
of pots, kettles and pans;
the tinkerer’s cart approaching…

For some or other reason I like this:

Go to her channel, everything is different – her style changes with each song.

… finally cooler nights and early morns here in southern USA … moving to the kitchen I click the button on the coffee pot, lift the blinds on the long windows, watchfully awaiting the warm rays of sunlight … passing a mirror my late mother looks back at me.

Another day … filled with efforts to live in the moment … to push away the inclination to hate … all the horrors allowed… carrying seed for the feeders outside, wondering if all the birds …  have fled occupied Palestine … watering, pruning the plants… images arise of miles of concrete rubble … crushing beautiful human beings, many in the flowering of their youth, struggling to free themselves … literally and …

Two of my favorite quotes:

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

[Amos 5:24  KJV  ( The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Christian Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh and the second in the Greek Septuagint.   Amos denounced the injustice and idolatry of Israel and challenged the kings, priests, and leaders of his time.)]

 The great way is not difficult for those who have no preferences.

3rd Zen Patriarch

<hr />

Bit of a conflict there, right?

I prefer … consequences for lawlessness, crimes against humanity.

Free Palestine!

Yes, the extreme heat is also dissipating now in our climes.  The sun streak in the kitchen makes me mad because the whole surface is sunny and who can chop cold fruit in the sun?

This is such a beautiful month, and it is things like this that keep us sane, yes.  I’m going for a walk in a little bit in our local street where there are people to greet and smiles to share and possibly a bit of street food to come home with – depends on what is on the menus of the vendors.  They eat a lot of pork where I am, and I skip that normally.  This daily bit of normality it melts the hearts and one can lose the hard work to keep the hatred at bay.   Violence and hatred begets violence and hatred but oh man, it is hard!   I feel you!

The extremist Ukrainian website “Peacemaker” has posted an entry about the singer Tatiana Makeeva (Kurtukova), who performed the song “Mother Earth”.
https://m.vz.ru/news/2025/9/12/1359233.html

“My Soul, strangered with thy oath, has been led astray…”

Hymn

I will praise any man,
That praises me.
I will raise any man,
That raises me.
I will shake his hand,
And I’ll sing “praise be”,
I will declare the blessings
That the blessings may be!

This world’s illusions
Are a strange kind of sleep,
Its problems and dilemmas
Rooted so deep.
But thy terrestrial tasks
Must one day be done,
And thy race against time
Must one day be won.

From the tender bleat
Of the blithesome doe,
To the throaty caw
Of the wily crow.
A speaker of tongues
Yet speaker of none;
Behind the many,
The voice of but one!

Take my immortal longings,
Shape them into a crown
Put the crown on my head
And lay me down.
Take my fears and my sorrows
Down to the sea,
My yesterdays and tomorrows,
And set them all free!

I will praise any man
That praises me.
I will raise any man
That raises me.
I will shake his hand,
And I’ll sing “praise be”,
I will declare the blessings,
That the blessings may be!

These guys performed at our Folk Music Festival this summer;

The multi-tasking lady in the group was the impressive bass player, drummer and singer, all at the same time…as here:

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians !

Days of Light and Hope

Old enemies face off for one last clash,
Where those condemned to darkness grope.
When raging fires have turned to ash;
Days of light and hope.

For anger and spite must spread perforce,
As the invisible worm must interlope.
Until it’s run its deadly course;
Days of light and hope.

On fitful quests tied to the mast,
Oath-bound heroes fret and mope.
Until they sight their home at last;
Days of light and hope.

Forty years in the wilderness,
Trying to climb that slippery slope!
Staving off spikes of bitterness;
Days of light and hope.

After the time of wanting is finally done,
After receiving and opening the envelope,
After raising and turning your face to the sun…
Days of light and hope!

Hafez Shirazi’s poem :
“If God Invited You To A Party”

If God
Invited you to a party
And said,

‘Everyone
In the ballroom tonight
Will be my special
Guest…’

How would you then treat them
When you
Arrived?

Indeed, indeed!

And I know
There is no one in this world

Who
Is not upon
His Jeweled Dance
Floor

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/237591/From-Shiraz-to-the-World-Hafez-s-poetry-touches-human-soul
“Today marks Hafez Day, a celebration of one of Iran’s greatest poets whose words of love, mysticism, and human insight continue to captivate readers around the world.”

Every drop of dew
Along love’s way
Equals 100 oceans
Each ablaze

Hafiz

“Hafiz’s Little Book of Life”

Erfan Mojib, Gary Gach

“Didn’t I Tell You Not to Go There?”

Didn’t I tell you not to go there? Don’t you know i’m your
companion?
Through this worldly mirage, and I’m the source of your life?

Didn’t I tell you that if you leave me out of anger, even for a
hundred thousand years,
You’ll still come back because I’m your Omega?

Didn’t I tell you not to search for happiness in the forms and
illusions of this world,
Since I am the one who fashions the form of your fulfillment?

Didn’t I tell you that I’m the ocean and you’re a fish,
And not to go ashore to live because I’m a welcoming sea?

Didn’t I tell you not to be fooled by traps like they set for
birds
And to come with me as I’m the strength beneath your wings?

Didn’t I tell you that they will rob you and turn you cold,
And I’m the fire, warmth, and passion of life?

Didn’t I tell you that they’ll call you ugly names
Until you forget that I’m the source of Soul’s potential?

Didn’t I tell you not to ask where my work with you is going,
Because I’m spontaneous and follow inspiration?

If you’re enlightened, you should know the way home.
And if you have even a hint of God’s blessings, you’ll know
that Im your Master.

“The Hidden Teachings of Rumi”

Translated by Doug Marman, Farzad Khalvati, Mitra Shafaei

Of interest; Uncovering the Hidden Faces of Iranian Poets; Based on extant accounts of their appearances. Of interest especially to me personally  is Firdusi and Rumi. The Rumi is the best of many I have seen.

https://medium.com/@hamed.kohan/uncovering-the-hidden-faces-of-iranian-poets-how-ai-is-bringing-their-images-to-life-62af1e68c7bb
 

This is something completely different out of South Africa.  I found it too demanding (or perhaps I was too tired) to listen to from start to finish, but as I went, and broke it into pieces, I started understanding it.  Enjoy – cello, amazing voice, and rhythm.

Kyrie Eleison (“Lord, have mercy”), https://youtu.be/mAZC4oe9VM0?si=rXcSsjjl8FzsQdzh

The collapsing Empire at one time produced some great writers. Archive hosts what appears to be the entire corpus of Mark Twain in the form of well-voiced audio books. These are delightful, and historically significant commentary…though I expect this to soon become arcane, it remains great art.

https://archive.org/details/MarkTwainAudiobookCollection

Take a gander with Life on the Mississippi….

By Their Fruits

Tis not by their undulant silhouette,
Not by their wayward, curling stem;
Tis not by their gleaming roots thickset,
But by their fruits ye shall know them.

Tis not by their abstracted fingering,
Not by jewel, adornment or diadem.
Tis not by any fondness for malingering,
But by their fruits ye shall know them.

Tis not by disposition, by humour or heat,
Tis not by an absence or an excess of phlegm.
Whether man among men or man on the street,
Tis by their fruits that ye shall know them.

Tis not by their names, their rank or their file,
Not by the final words of the condemned.
Tis not by denial or disavowal of “seig heil”,
But by their fruits ye shall know them.

Tis not by their covenants, their troths, or their games,
Tis not by any pledge to the gods of mayhem.
Tis not by their deaths like moths to the flame,
But by their fruits that ye shall know them.

Tis not by pretending that they have not sinned,
Tis not by any claims to “having touched God’s hem”;
Tis not by not throwing caution to the wind…
But by their fruits that ye shall know them!

28 10 2025

Seeing the moving handmill
Kabir wept and said,
‘Alas, no one has survived
The pressure of the two millstones
(Of the heavens and the earth)
– Kabir
Indian mystic and poet

The Old Maple Tree;

Elena Kamburova -“Love and Separation”. Music by I. Schwartz, words by B. Okudzhava.

“The music video features footage from the film “The Captivating Star of Happiness, directed by V. Motyl. The song “Love and Separation” (Road Song) was originally written for the film “We Were Not Married in a Church,” directed by Boris Vasilyevich Tokarev in 1982. After the film’s release, the song was included in the repertoires of many famous performers, and it took on a life of its own.”

Ted posted this at Smoothie’s a few mins ago … this may not be the thread to place it … my apologies if not… however I found it interesting and am wondering how others view it.  Does it merit discussion? or, is there already too much talk?

ted richard 5 minutes ago
https://substack.com/home/post/p-179404454

a tasters choice snippet………………………

My reflections on war, on what everyone can see by watching the television news (our daily spectacle), have therefore led me to a new interest in religion as a historical factor. Observing the consequences of the disappearance of religion in the present day has even opened up a completely new field of research for me. When I describe the history of the disappearance of religion, I now distinguish three stages: active religion, zombie religion, and zero religion.

Active religion is when people believe in their god and worship him. I am talking here about religion in a Western, monotheistic sense. I am thinking of Christianity, I am thinking of Judaism.

Then, the second stage is the zombie stage, when belief in God has disappeared, when worship has disappeared, but in a social world where the moral habits associated with religion are still alive. Individuals remain bound by a system of values, they remain capable of collective action. Religion is replaced by substitute ideologies, such as national sentiment, class sentiment, and all kinds of ideological groups that replace the original religious affiliation.

And then there is the third stage, the one we are in now, the stage of zero religion, in which the values inherited from religion have disappeared. We are entering a world where the individual is truly deprived of fundamental values; they are now alone, deprived of the capacity for collective action. They are weakened individuals because the values instilled by religion, and later reused by ideology, were a source of strength for their personality.

This state zero of religious beliefs is not experienced by the individual as true freedom. Human beings find themselves confronted with the very common problem of the meaning of life. What are they doing on earth? What is the purpose of their existence? In this kind of context, we see the emergence of what I call nihilism.

The fear of emptiness turns into glorification, into deification of emptiness. A passion for the destruction of things, the destruction of men, the destruction of reality, gradually emerges. The current psychological state of the West is partly this: nihilism, which leads to a passion for war in people’s minds, and a preference for war in geopolitics. We understand the moral background to the West’s new preference for war.

<hr />

Very little time to tend to writing poetry, hopefully, a single haiku will help in opening the floodgates…

a flock of starlings,
undulating like dark breath
dissolving in wind…

Life demands painful choices. Then brings about tantalising glimpses of a greater more fulfilling lot. But first we must shed our old skin…

Toward a Distant Star

a baptism of fire;
defeating the monster of fear
in its own lair!

carry that weight, boy;
a spiritual kingdom or the
pit of a slave?

the brewing storm;
levelling the ruts of habit as
only the heavenly wind can!

a small caged animal;
its heart broken with loneliness
waiting for blessed relief

the battle of wills
inevitably ends with the deep
sorrow of parting

toward a distant star;
a vast dark sky gives way
to a blazing sea of light!

30 11 2025