Metal & Metal
Proverb
A spear at your front is better than an arrow in your back.
Poem
The armoured team moves in smooth harmony
Brandishing their bright-gilded spears
And their beautiful feathered shields;
With the tiger-skin quivers,
and the metal decorations in front
Two bows lying side by side
Tied to their bamboo frames.
I think of my absent husband
When I lie down and get up
When will I know when he comes back?
Oh! How I think of him!
Meditation
Metal and Metal is a powerful yang combination.
The proverb captures that.
The poem, however, brings a yin dimension.
Following the celebration of armies and arms,
we suddenly hear the voice of a wife, a lover.
It breaks in and recalls us to the truth that violence destroys,
but love and compassion nurture.
©Loes Raaphorst 10/2005