Thursday, February 2, 2012

The 'Red'dish Bull


My blog and FB friend, Nisha Jha,  who blogs at Le Monde - A poetic Travail is currently in Cambodia, volunteering at a school, and has posted pictures depicting life in Cambodia here.

One of the pictures was that of a popular street food in Cambodia , described as Barbecued Bull.  

That  marketing should have reached this blatant level was very disturbing, but not surprising.  Times have changed, wars have  happened, and life is short.   So is memory.

Ages ago, Prah Kor , the revered fighting bull of Cambodia, and his sister, Prah Keo, were cheated and kidnapped by a jealous King of Siam (Thailand) , who wanted to own them. They were separated by a special rope as they hid along the  Stoeung Proth (Proth River), and Prah Kor was taken away, never to be seen again.

Today the bulls are still taken away .  To be eaten. Dismembered. And never to be seen again. 

  (photo by Nisha Jha)
Prah Kor,
the magical
revered
fighting Bull of Cambodia,
cheated
into defeat
by the King of Siam
who dragged him away
with a magical rope
stretched to separate him
from his brother bull,
on the shores of
river Stoeung Proth.

There are no more
magical ropes
or hopes...

Evolution means
you gore it,
kill it,
hang it,
display it,
cook it,
and dismember it
in public,
to devour in pieces,
spiced into oblivion.

History repeats.

The Rope is now called
Survival of the fittest....

Take a bow, Mr Darwin....

7 comments:

  1. I've been reading several of your poems and, as always, I'm so amazed at your talent!! How fortunate I am to have met you in cyberspace!!

    Sylvia

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    Replies
    1. Sylvia ! Thank you for the nice words. But it sure helps to have a lot of free time to do all this stuff. Wouldn't have been able to do so when I was working....I've been lucky myself to be inspired by so many of your amazing photographs.....

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  2. Thanks for the mention here. And once again a very thoughtful poem... right from the heart.

    Ih was horrified when I saw this bull being roasted and there were people waiting to feast on it. Never knew the story you told us.
    Thanks.

    Nisha - Le Monde- A Poetic travail

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Nisha! This photo kept bothering me hugely. But thanks for posting the wonderful "Life in Cambodia" pictures; there is so much new stuff to learn !

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  3. true so true .. it is survival of the fittest and it seems Mankind will stop at nothing and finish off everything

    Bikram's

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  4. Bikram, Thanks for the comment! As a pucca vegetarian, this visual was traumatic !

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  5. Informative article, I really like to keep track of the updates and news. Thanks for the excellent news and topics.

    ReplyDelete