I wanted to make a special effort on America's 250th. Something memorable and requiring commitment and coordination. One of my bucket lists is to visit US Presidential Libraries. There are a total of 19 (the counting is not straightforward; but we knew that!)
For the 250th then, I thought would it be not nice to make the trip to Springfield, IL and visit the Lincoln Presidential Library. I asked my friend and neighbor, David if he would join me and he agreed.
Hope you enjoy this photo essay and my poem, Horizon!
We started in St. Louis at the Arch
The next day it was off to President Obama's Library
Hope you enjoy my poem:
Horizon
The line that is a divide
Earth seems separate from sky
What does it hide
What may portend and why?
Eyes that have come before
Have seen their future manifest
Dark clouds looming to the fore
As unrest reached its crest
It is not for us to see every yuga
But for the one we are in
And each could produce its yogi
To heal its suffering
In Springfield, from home away
Oh Abe, I waited long for this
I also see the horizon today
And I feel nothing but bliss
Video Essay
https://notebooklm.link.google/WMbd2KfKJHcw
Podcast Link
https://on.soundcloud.com/6pzf4cE1XuYfxMEHta
My earlier posts on Lincoln:
2002: Gore Vidal's Lincoln
2003: Father & Son
2008: Spring Day At The Mall
2010: Lincoln - Douglas Debates
2015: Approaching Lincoln
2016: The Civil War
8 comments:
Bharani
Surya, a very optimistic poem at this chaotic time. Abe Yogi shone light on an enslaved America. Nice tribute to him
Sriki
Lovely poem Surya đđđđđ
Mekala
And that’s the only way we can understand how the world works even though it is unfair
Ganesh
Wow, that’s a privilege đđŊ
Balaji
From the mystical beauty of the Horizon to “Yuga Purusha” - a nice poem with a philosophical touch đđģđđģ
Uma
What a beautiful picture Surya.. Nature at its best đ
Venkat
Beautiful verses !
Profound thoughts !
Beautiful capture !
There is something about the timing framing and setting !
Rare moments of collusion,
A bliss đđŧđđŧ
Bala
This is a thoughtful poem, and the horizon works very well as the central metaphor. It moves from uncertainty about the future, through historical suffering, to the hope embodied by Abraham Lincoln.
A few points stand out:
- “The line that is a divide / Earth seems separate from sky” — the horizon becomes a boundary between what we know and what we cannot yet see.
- “Eyes that have come before / Have seen their future manifest” — this brings history into the poem: previous generations faced their own crises without knowing exactly what lay ahead.
- The yuga / yogi stanza is particularly interesting. It introduces an Indian philosophical idea into an American historical setting: every age has its suffering, but also produces people capable of responding to it.
- “In Springfield, from home away / Oh Abe…” gives the poem a personal and geographical anchor. “Abe” clearly evokes Abraham Lincoln and Springfield, Illinois.
- The final shift from “What does it hide?” to “I feel nothing but bliss” is important. The horizon begins as something mysterious and potentially threatening, but ends as a source of hope.
There is also a subtle circular structure:
> What may portend and why?
…
I also see the horizon today / And I feel nothing but bliss
The speaker begins by questioning what the horizon conceals and ends by accepting what lies beyond it.
One possible interpretation
The poem may be saying that history does not allow us to see the whole future—only the age in which we are living. Yet every difficult age can produce a person who helps heal it. In Springfield, standing metaphorically “before Lincoln,” the poet sees today's horizon not with fear, but with gratitude and hope.
The phrase “each produces its yogi / To heal its suffering” is perhaps the philosophical heart of the poem. It connects yuga (an age/era) with yogi (one who has attained spiritual discipline or insight), suggesting that an age's suffering can call forth the wisdom needed to transform it.
One small grammatical/poetic point: “each produces its yogi” is powerful, but also quite a large philosophical claim. If the intention is deliberately prophetic, I would keep it. It gives the poem its distinctive voice.
Overall, I would describe Horizon as a meditation on history, destiny, suffering, and hope—with Lincoln and the horizon meeting as symbols of a better future.
Kanchana
Bala the poet could capture the resonance the hidden thought process of another poet’s poetry lines ,,, Very nice đđ❤️❤️
Tim
Well, we sure as hell aren’t in The Golden Age (Satya Yuga)!
The Bronze Age (Dvapara Yuga) sound about right.
And perhaps about to enter The Iron Age (Kali Yuga)… but with longer life spans.
For those who want one….
Superb Video Essay Surya!
Immediately my thoughts correlated to my life here in India and more specifically in the city of Coimby where I have lived ever since college days!
The sixty years in our lifetime sure has provided a viewing point that’s mature, all encompassing, with better judgment of the future, based upon our understanding of the past.
Akin to your analysis of American history and the present life there, my look into the horizon of India and Coimbatore is mixed with thankfully more positivity đđģ
Liked it Surya. At the time of this milestone the country needs a Yogi to steer back and I am not aware of anyone in the likes of the people you discuss in this video essay who are in the arena to do it.
I am generally optimistic, may be you have different thoughts?
Great. Very captivating and deeply philosophical.
I personally am not very comfortable with a heavy American accent. Heightened by the slightly faster speed of narration. I would have preferred a deeper voice, more accent neutral, and somewhat slower speed of narration. Not used to the consonants getting rounded off in quick succession.
However, majority of your viewers, I guess, would love it. So I would let that be.
The choice of words shifts up the intellectual level a notch or two. I personally find that stimulating.
Very nice one Surya.
American Horizons!!
Here I came to know you visited not only Lincoln Library also you visited Chicago University.
Beautiful compilation!!
Both interesting places of visit with a friend.
Connecting history to Longevity.
Enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely engaging information Surya, connects so well with your poem, thanks for sharing.
Horizon in Tamil is called āŽ¤ொāŽுāŽĩாāŽŠāŽŽ் so poetic.
Eventually I used horizon in my LinkedIn post recently đ
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