In the beginning was the dream
and milk was created.
And butter. And fire.
And the sun. And the moon.
And water.
And the earth.
fire is an element of the heart, clearing the mind.
In 2015 I read a paper about the Veda and the meaning of creation, written by Bruno Nagel, former doctor in comparative philosophy in Amsterdam. I wrote a poem called creation according to Veda’ and picked up one fascinating image: Birds made of butter, feeding the sun. And tried to process the idea that myths are incomprehensible. Being so, they help us to get rid of the mind things and drop into our heart.
And than we understand that the ritual practice to burn butter is there to help people relax and feel bliss.
Back in 2015 I was attending a poetry club in Dordrecht and asked opinions. Some of the members were so irritated or shocked that they threw me out of the club.
I thought at that moment: How can one in 2015 being confiscated just because of a poem? This is an important sign. I must have done something without realising that is revolutionary. Is it so?
Now eight years have passed, in which I have also been thrown out of the terraced house and village where I did my best for many years to create a family. I ended up in a students flat, and am not sure what is less comfortable: this flat or the 55+ noisy housing were I live now.
Not a good environment to create or come out with your poetry. To let go of the feeling of condemnation takes time.
But still, life goes on. A new generation grows up, and castles of convictions burned down. And I am still there.
so here is the poem again.
CREATION ACCORDING TO VEDA
‘from this offer, fully executed, the butter was gathered, they made animals living in the wind.’(Purusha hymn)
Milk is dreaming of butter
Butter is dreaming of fire
fire is dreaming of the sun
The sun is dreaming of the moon.
The moon is dreaming of water
Water is dreaming of the body
The body is dreaming of the heart
The heart is dreaming of new life
New life is dreaming of the earth
The earth is dreaming of the mother
The mother is dreaming of the child
The child is dreaming of milk.
–
milk is dreaming of butter
Butter is dreaming of fire
Fire is dreaming of air
air is dreaming of awareness.
Awareness dreams of waking up
The wake up tears the dream to pieces
And stores them all up in heaven
Heaven is watching over the dream.
The dream is watching over sleep
Sleep is watching over death
Death is watching over time
Time is watching over fate.
–
Fate is nourishing tears
tears are nourishing the heart
The heart is nourishing wisdom
Wisdom is nourishing light.
Light is nourishing warmth
Warmth is nourishing seed
Seed is nourishing the earth
The earth is nourishing the cow.
Her milk is clotting to butter
Butter is transfigured into birds
Birds are nourishing the sun
The sun is nourishing all.
©Machteld Teekens 2015
