Place for poets

a very quiet bus stop,

plenty of greenery,

great coffee nearby -

here the world

seems to smile
 

 In the ancient world, for a long time Jews were thought of as warriors. 

Their second unsuccessful rebellion against Roman rule changed that. Huge numbers of them were massacred; most of those left fled to other countries, changed from an oral culture to a written one, and became "the people of the book".

Now, in Israel, they can have both military prowess and literary skill. The former is greatly respected in the region; let's hope that if and when the Israelis win this war, there will be peace for a long time.

      Purpose of poetry

Ask good questions,

ring the right bells,

and somehow the blessings

will come to you also.

 Some Australians have felt like this:

      After travelling

back in the magical country

the great south land

where sunshine cheers

like the best wine

and more innocent histories

give the search for wisdom

a special relish

However, there's a lot more 

anti-Semitism now - in

Australia and many other

countries.

India is a place of possibilities,

particularly if it takes good care

of its ethnic and religious

minorities.

The photo is from Sarmoli,

Uttarakhand.

 India should not be a big Russian

trading partner now.

If Ukraine is saved, other huge challenges should also be manageable.