By: Dom Martin
Dom Martin's earlier book of illustrated poetry, Exodus to Eternity, published in the millennium year 2002, explored in fascinating ways, man's inhumanity towards his fellowmen. His present volume, which echoes the first, CoEXISTENCE: Humanity’s Wailing Wall, is a collection of some 77 poems. The pages are graced by the poet-artist's unique and often-startling pencil drawings, which remind one of the agonies expressed in Pablo Picasso's famous painting, “Guernica”.
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"The poet fulfills himself as he sees his imagination become the light in the minds of others." — Wallace Stevens (1879-1955)
“And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.” — Matthew Arnold (excerpt from “Dover Beach”)
Today, in a world, much akin to that described by the 19th century poet Matthew Arnold, there has appeared an artistic and intellectual bellwether[i], who (expressing himself in both poetic and visual media) is shedding his personal light on our confused world. This artist, Dom Martin, takes a less than optimistic view of human behavior, both past and present.
Dom Martin's earlier book of illustrated poetry, Exodus to Eternity, published in the millennium year 2002, explored in fascinating ways, man's inhumanity towards his fellowmen. His present volume, which echoes the first, CoEXISTENCE: Humanity’s Wailing Wall, is a collection of some 77 poems. The pages are graced by the poet-artist's unique and often-startling pencil drawings, which remind one of the agonies expressed in Pablo Picasso's famous painting, “Guernica”. In this second book, he explores man's changing relationship both to his fellowmen and with an often disappointing, ‘hands-off’ God. Obviously troubled by the continuing morass in the Middle East, Dom Martin's poem, "The Prophet", speaks directly to Lebanon's recent devastation at the hands of Israel, while "The Palestinian Wailing Wall" and "The Siege of Gaza" echo the despair of a long-oppressed people. In "A Thousand Eyes for an Eye", the poet decries the ongoing occupation of Iraq.
Born of Portuguese-Goan parentage in British East-Africa, and raised in idyllic Goa on India's west coast, as a young man, Dom Martin joined the Benedictine Order, but left the monastic life to follow what would then become his twin beacons of art and poetry. Martin's artistic expressionism in which he mastered the triple art forms of pencil, ink and brush, is driven by that same Portuguese dynamism that centuries earlier inspired Vasco de Gama to open up a sea route from Europe to India and the Far East.
In his current volume, Dom follows the poetry with some 70 pages of text wherein our artist-poet pulls aside the curtains from his personal experiences, revealing those special Furies which have driven his artistic responses. These pages are replete with news reports of human tragedies. Reports about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict include targeted killing of Red Cross rescue workers and Palestinian children by the IDF, and articles which explore at some length the psychological background of the Palestinian suicide bombers. Other articles include the campaign of South African women against spousal abuse and several articles by the poet-artist himself.
In a surprisingly detailed discussion, after quoting Mao Tse Tung's comment that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun", Dom Martin takes off his gloves to attack ‘Corporatism’ which he identifies as "the New Order of Imperialism". He traces the malignant influence of the military-industrial ideology from the fall of the Soviet Union through World War II and the Balkan and Mideast wars. Addressing capitalism and The New World Order, the author pleads: "Let there be God between politics and affluence." Not content with this, Dom then takes on the world's professional economists, pointing out that despite "this century’s mushrooming economics, recession has become the common denominator." In line with this, Dom suggests that adopting the "Principles of‘ Zerometrics", i.e., an economic system wherein zero is given the value of -1, would add ammunition to Wall Street's continuing battle against inflation. I'll let the reader work this out.
In striking contrast to the many pencil drawings in his two volumes of poetry, Dom Martin's legacy in both ink and oil surrealism remains on permanent exhibition in Goa at the "Mileage to Truth and Life" Art Gallery, established in 1976 and dedicated to his paintings. The gallery is located on the upper floor of the Bom Jesus Basilica, a national and World Heritage monument in the ancient city of Old Goa, once affectionately dubbed "The Rome of the East". Goa is visited by those thousands of tourists who journey to India's west coast every year.
I strongly recommend this book to serious readers, especially those with humanistic and artistic inclination. In his poetic responses, as well as his sociological and economic discussions, Dom Martin challenges us to re-examine our oft-neglected attitudes and biases that we may more honestly reshape our expectations.
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[i] Bellwether refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck (wether) of a castrated ram in order that this animal might lead its flock of sheep. In sociology, the term is applied in the active sense to a person or group of people who tend to create or influence trends. (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)
Comments about- COEXISTENCE: Humanity's Wailing Wall
"Thank you for sending me the autographed copies of CoExistence: Humanity's Wailing Wall. I also find poetry to be a rewarding hobby. Rosalynn joins me in sending our best wishes for continued success." - Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States of America, 2002 Nobel Prize Winner
" . . . I am struck by your words and illustrations. I appreciate your focus on the human element, beyond the game of finger-pointing and blame that so often takes precedent. We all have our roles to play addressing these global tragedies. I wish you the best as you continue in yours." - Dr. James J. Zogby, President, Arab American Institute
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August 21, 2007 Book review by: Edward W. Miller, M.D. 'COEXISTENCE: Humanity’s Wailing Wall' by: Dom Martin, TransGalactic Publications, 2006, 223 pages, $14.95, ISBN:0961607882, Available at: amazon.com For more information: http://www.amchoforce.com/
