Of firing souls and an anniversary

Sandstone To Ink

Of sandstone dust my spirit formed
a love of stone and water in
the dreaming of the Hawkesbury rift;
I dared to shape this nature and art
to carve and grind and penetrate
and share the vision of our primal source
to fire the souls of others.

 

---Rob Maddox-Harle

 

Sunil Sharma

Rob Maddox-Harle continues to surprise through an evolved and nuanced idiom and syntax.

His oeuvre is rich and multi-layered---hallmark of great art.

 

The inaugural poet for the occasional column “My Favorite Works"---initially suggested as "My Best Poems" by the eminent poet Sanjeev Sethi and further expanded as a welcome idea into works that might include prose and other modes of expression. It is a place for select creatives to share their best, published or unpublished pieces---Rob comes up with the poems typical of his craft and weltanschauung.

 

Rob Harle---his popular name---is an important voice. His voice brings sanity and clarity. Worth listening!

 

In future, Setu shall be sharing this window on the worldview of the invited artists. Works---textual; visual; digital---that aspire to "dare" and "fire" human souls with visions of primeval force: The perennial fountainhead of creativity across the spatial-temporal continuum.

 

This poem can function as a manifesto for the entire range of the artistic endeavours in words, images, stone, film or colours---the Project Art and articulation of ideal and reality, and resultant tensions, gaps between the two poles. 

 

Art that gives shape to an enlightening vision rooted in nature and finer values, the civilizational and foundational axis and praxis that frame the Republic of Equal Humans---and make us thinking and critical species that continues to move forward and progress, despite many challenges. The Climate Crisis is most pressing.

 

.

 

This June, Setu bilingual completes seven years of monthly service to the discerning community of readers and writers alike. It is the 169th issue. There are 850 authors and 7,000 works published so far.

 

We could reach this stage and 3,672,260 views, due to your unstinted support and kind patronage of the bilingual journal published from Pittsburgh, USA.

 

A journal that showcases the best and relevant content in Hindi and English. Apart from that, Setu (English) often runs bilingual poetry and translations of prose and poetry in order to create mutual dialogue between languages and their audiences.

Besides that, publication of protest and political writings by committed writers further aims to question the status quo and official narratives. The main mission is to spread finer values of liberal humanism and strive towards a better and more equitable world, minus the hatred and fundamentalism and promotion of a clean forested and breathable world via verbal and other interventions.

This issue carries these concerns raised by our eminent authors.

 

Writers like Rob Harle are a shining example of such critical thinking as an involved artist impatient with the political system that has stopped caring for nature and welfare of human and other beings and tends to cling to power by dividing people along false issues.

The main purpose of art is dissidence.

And propagation of diversity, coexistence and interdependent universe, as the ideal, not a bigoted one driven by polarities and politics of identity and sectarian violence.

 

In this journey of aiming for slow changes in the general mindset, we remain grateful for your understanding, overall encouragement and participation, and hope to have your loving support in coming months as well.

 

Happy Anniversary, Setu!

 

Take care!

Sunil Sharma

Editor, Setu (English)

---

Setu, June 2023