PNG Paradise
21 June 2014
DARREN A TALYAGA
An entry in The Crocodile Prize
Kina Securities Award for Poetry
At the Edge of the Great Pacific Sea
A Land among the clouds only the brave could see
Adventurers and then Christian Missionaries were thee
To Soldiers weary, a Land of Angels Fair and Fuzzy
Diverse Tribes and Cultures, their pride vested in
Sceneries from the mountains vast and green
The Coasts and scattered Islands in the tropical breeze
Through stories and legends, preserved their unique histories
In today’s time, where the world compares
Against all that God gave over their man-mades
I know, the cultures and natural treasures are my identity
The floras and the faunas in beauty unique
Among them is My Bird so rare
One that could live only in a Paradise
Its colours, its ways, Our Bird of Paradise
Lives in Our Home PNG Paradise
My Bird is the pride of my country
A Land of A Thousand Tribes
Where Unity was found in Diversity
And still, I treasure what we have and had always
Than to dream on’ for all that we may have
Thus my pride is my beautiful country, my home
PNG Paradise
Thank you, Michael, but my poem states we have to have proud of what we have already! A pride of PNG paradise now rather than to be disillusioned by the future.
The bird of paradise makes us renowned and is what makes us stand out in the world with such fauna and flora.
I see you tried to conclude with something patriotic of better things to come, yes but the example about selling the bird of bird of paradise is distasteful.
If it was for economic gain, I'd rather have a rare bird that lives here in PNG paradise that will give pride much more than any high rise buildings or structures (which in the world, we do not stand out).. something to to with being Proud of what we have is how it is concluded.
Thanks for your review - I guess I have to think broad noting your review. But as said, many have their own critics, hope some got it well as I did.
Posted by: Darren Talyaga | Wabag, Enga | 04 October 2018 at 10:12 AM
Hi Darren, thank you for your poem demonstrating pride in what God has bestowed on our half of the island.
But your concluding lines give me the impression of ambivalent patriotic sentiment.
I would argue that it is truly patriotic to dream of better days for one's country.
To dream is to imagine what we desire.
But dreaming, as a subconscious event, may also reveal what may be undesirable to our psyche, i.e., the nightmare of things that may be lost or go wrong.
What's a good example?
Well, someone, somewhere decided it would be worthwhile to sell the PNG birds of paradise to the Chinese.
Maybe we didn't see that one coming, i.e., we never dreamed of the day that someone would want to sell our pride and joy so we weren't prepared to stop it from happening.
Posted by: Michael Dom | 21 June 2014 at 07:52 AM