Sympathy For The Devil

‘MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH BALI - IN MEMORIAM’ by Susan Maree

Women bound in colourful brocade, placed sacred offerings on temples and ground,
In my ‘mind’s eye’ I ‘hear’ the Gamelan playing amongst the distant festive sounds,
But what captured the essence of this once peaceful small isle,
Was the simple beauty of the people with their ‘hello’s and ’smiles’,

With frangipani, hibiscus, exotic fruits and palms,
The markets, villages, and Balinese traditions oozed alluring charm,
And whilst shopping was cheap, if you’d learned to barter right!
A smile comes to my lips when I remember the phrase ‘I give you good price!’,

So as I witnessed Bali life further through carvings and lively dance,
A history rich in antiquity unfolded through stories and trance,
For the spirit of Bali is inspired by a great love of life and Art,
As within it is passion and vision, for it comes straight from the heart,

Yes, I was once drawn to the magic of this neighbourly exotic heaven,
But now sadly there’s only the deadly smell of September eleven,
For now within her island’s once magical womb,
Lie the scars and remnants of a terrorist’s tomb,

However I believe in my heart, I will return to ‘my love affair’ one day,
When mankind has perhaps evolved, and peace is deemed the ‘only way’.

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Congratulation for this triad. A new day will come where the whole things is peaceful !