Recent Comments
"Time Smoking Art
Do I care,
says Time
if it’s Mona Lisa
or David?
To use a polite
term, and a novel one at that,
I smoke on art
You say
in your naivety
or pride of accomplishment
your art is forever,
for all time -
well, tell me about it...
I lay out dust on your works
and I have agents to eat your stuff
You may use varnish
and restoration
and conservation
may come in handy
but hey - I’ve got plenty of time
to do my work
Ah, you proud beauties
and you arrogant, virile males:
I’ll do the smoking;
you enjoy the smoke in your faces"
By
RajArumugam
"Sarah Malcolm (1710-1733)
I am Sarah Malcolm -
yes, the one they call “the Irish Laundress”
and the jury found me guilty of the murders
(the Infamous Murderess)
of Mrs Lydia Duncomb,
Mrs Harrison and the servant Ann Price
in Mrs Lydia’s chamber
at the Inns of Court in the Temple;
and imagine the jury only needed 15 minutes
and there was disbelief when I admitted to robbery
but not murder
and there was disgust
when I said the blood on my clothing
was my own menstrual blood
and not the blood of Ann Price:
I had broken a taboo in talking
of menstrual blood
for, as they say,
only ‘loose’ and not ‘virtuous’ women
speak that way
and of course even after the judgement
I have been deemed even more guilty
for I am “of a different Communion”
of the Catholic faith, not Anglican -
just as the Ordinary, James Guthrie described me
in instructing me here at Newgate on the Christian faith;
and I have earned the name now of many
as the "evil, barbaric, and stubborn woman"
And now Mr Hogarth sketches and paints
that you might have a view of me;
and the appointed date is 7 March 1733
when I will be executed...
and these lines I add to the picture
that you might remember me
"
By
RajArumugam
"Let us laugh
instead:
there’s too much sobriety
too many of grave countenance
tear down the masks
O Thalia, Muse of Comedy;
let us hold up the Mask of Comedy instead
for all this seriousness and ambition of the world
and the words and fire of Great Men of Ambition and Prophecy
all that is but petty, vain and self-promotion;
the world and all establishment
is all laughable, ridiculous, plain comedy
The Mask of Comedy is the Mirror of Truth;
hold it up to the world
"
By
RajArumugam