West of Eden

"Native Indians in jungles and mountains, nomads on Himalayanfoothills,wanderers on deserts, aboriginees of the Pacific islands, all arefighting a losing battle against powers purporting their destruction.Through death and decay, through political and social pressures, through"missions of help". Via gaudy, glittering toys offered by the West, toreplace the traditional.Toys without price tags, which should actually read:These will cost your freedom, your culture, own art and belief."

- Marianne Greenwood. 1916-2006Excerpt from "Varför gråter puman?"

"Do this; how can we give to you,"They cried, "what to the poor is due?"

"Snatch off the gag from thy mouth, child,And be free to keep silence.Tell no man anything for no man listens,Yet hold thy lips ready to speak."

"Go in thy native innocence, relyOn what thou hast of virtue, summon all,For God towards thee hath done his part,Do thine."

John Milton / Paradise Lost

"The eye it cannot choose but see,We cannot bid the ear be still;Our bodies feel, where'er they be,Against, or with our will."

"Let not ambition mocktheir useful toil,Their homely joys anddestiny obscure,Nor grandeur hear witha disdainful smile,The short and simpleannals of the poor."

There were no premeditations. The idea totravel flashed up during an evening power-cut.Idea for a theme never came up. Imagestumbled down in a Dickensian style. Later on,borrowed few verses from Carl Sandburg,Coleridge and Wordsworth, to bind'em up. Ofcourse, Western Odisha is far more lyrical.But for friends, Sushant Mishra and Jagat Basa,the idea would ever remain an idea. Andwithout Bismaya Mohapatra and the manydedicated people in Harsha Trust, it would beimpossible. Thanks for everything.

©PustervikFebruary 2012Göteborg

"Enough of science and of art;Close up these barren leaves;Come forth, and bring with you a heartThat watches and receives."