I!
!
3
U
_t
(
3
A Sacred Blasphemy Be offand know That the way of lovers is opposite all other ways. Liesfrom the Friend Are better than truth and kindness from others.
Why I Chose Francis [When we heard that Ross Keating of Sydney Australia hadearnedhis Doctorate with a the— sis written on Francis Brabazon, we naturally asked—How come Baba lovers worldwide know how importantFrancis was to Baba but out there in the World ofIllusion Following is his explanation, and the accompanying article is an excerptfrom aforementioned thesis. -Ed.]
I
started the thesis in 1991 and it has taken me, part-time, six years to complete. At the University of Sydney, in the Department of Studies of Religion where I completed my doctorate, there was a strong interest in Aus tralian religious art and poetry, with the term ‘reigious’being definedverybroadly, and they accepted my thesis proposal on Francis as contributing towards this area. Francis, I know, would not like the idea of being classified as a religious poet, for he saw himself a simple being, and actually one of the themes in Stay With Godis concerned with his definition ofthis term. Nor did Francis like the idea ofbeing labeled a ‘mystical’ poet; in this instance he saw mysticism and poetry as two separate paths to God with each having a different practice associated with it and suiting different temperaments. In a way the term ‘mystical poetry’ was for Francis a contradic lion in terms. My thesis is in the form of a biography somewhat in the style ofthis article, but more detailed and critical. Basically it starts from his birth in 1907 and finishes with his death in 1984.Throughout the biography I pay particular attention to the times when Francis publishes his poetry and I discuss his poetry in the context ofhis life. In this regard I have tried to make my comments readable in the same manner as Francis’s own poetry is easily readable. My original intention in doing the thesis was to try and include Francis into the mainstream ofAustralian poets. Francis is really an extremely interesting figure in Australian writing and has a great story to tell. For instance he was one of a small group of artists
For Him The impossible is commonplace, Punishment is reward, Tyranny is justice, Slander is the highest praise. His harshness is soft, His blasphemy is sacred. The blood that dri,sfrom the Belovedc thorn is sweeter than roses or basil.
and thinkers who were trying, for the first time in our history, to express something in their work which was uniquely Australian. In Francis’ case, however, his interest went beyond the national and he became more interested in defining art itselfwhich, in its purest form, he saw as God’s ongoing creativity— bringing into the world ofform ‘truth, love, purity, and beauty.’ In the thesis, I have defined Stay With God as a modem spiritual epic, a unique work, written in the style of, and having the content appropriate to this age. I think it was Pound who said something like “The role ofthe poet is to keep the language of the tribe fit and healthy,” and this is cxactlywhat I feel Francis has done in Stay With God. In this great poem Francis fuses words with their true meaning so that simple words can once more be used as instruments which can lead a seeker towards the truth. Francis can do this because, above all else, he is an honest writer, a poet who refuses to compromise his art for anything else but the truth. Whileit could be said that Eruch, and many of the other mandali, were Baba’s voice, as they interpreted His gestures, Francis was certainly Baba’s pen, for in reading his work and especially Stay With Goc4 one feels the same type ofinner clout and sharpness which one gets upon reading instances taken from Baba’s extraordinary life.
P veStrect £am;:Lbsr
—-
When Hec bitter itc better than a candy-shop. When He turns His head away itc all hugs and kisses. When He says, ‘By God, rye enough ofyou!” itc like an eternal spring flowingfrom thefountain of life. A ‘7Vo”from His lzps is a thousand times “Yes.” on this sefless path He acts like a stranger yet He’c your dearestfriend His infidelity is faith, His stones are jewels, His holding back is giving, His ruthlessness is mercy. You may laugh at me and say, “Thepath you’re on isfull of curves!” Yes—for the curve ofHis eyebrow I have traded my soul! This curvy path has gotten me drunk, I cannot say another word! Carry on, my glorious heart, finish the poem in silence.... 0 Shams, Lord of Thbriz, What sweetness you pour upon meAll I need do is open my mouth and allyour songsflow out. [by Rumi, from the book, In TheArms ofthe Beloved Translated byjonathan Star,
Tarcher/Putnam.]
,‘
29