THE INFORMATION AGE

We are in the 'Information Age',

Levels of technology are higher than every before.

We are smart.

Television - the greatest invention since sliced bread, Very smart.

What do we watch?

Gladiators, The Gospel Hour and company-orientated News.

A balanced life.

Sport, religion and information

Yes, we are very smart.

We know where we are headed.

Our goal is quite clear.

The golden Rolex on our wrist,

The diamond rings on our fingers,

The Armani and Calvin Klein suits for us to wear,

and the glint in our eye from the television glare.

Our path is clear

for we know appearance is everything.

The sound of our hollowness

can be masked by the roar of a Jaguar.

Our empty words,

can be filled with an intoxicating expensive French wine.

We fill our cup till it overflows,

and drink till we are blind to all and ourselves,

except of course, the drone of the television.

And personality and friends?

Who needs them

When we have Oprah and Cosmo

to tell us what to do and wear.

Why should we worry about unfashionable issues

such as mass-consumerism and suicide?

When the television tells us

All is O.K.?

The world is sold on the television set,

for a bargain price

that all can afford.

But take a closer look,

We'll find the trademark of rampart vacuous consumerism.

We find, as it falls apart,

it is only a cheap imitation still

desperately, we grasp it.

The real world is more expensive than that.

It is a very rare commodity that is depreciating daily.

It requires a price few can afford,

intelligence, originality.

A finite resource that is swamped and stamped out

by the anti-humanistic form of capitalism.

But don't worry - ignore it, and it will go away ...

By Khusphal Bansi

FEAR

The Black Wall blocked me once more;

I never realised how solid it was.

I saw in its shiny black surface

a dull reflection of Myself.

I looked like an impotent Henchman

bent over my work

slaving for my Master -

Fear.

But Fear, I realise, is none other than Myself;

for I am Lord and Master!

I am the God who created the Henchman

and his Master.

I look at my hands and see

it is they who hold up the wall -

I make and carry this burden.

With this revelation

I find the Door.

It is not solid and ugly like the Wall,

my reflection is clearer in its mirror-like surface.

I see a glimpse of myself smiling

as I go through the Door.

I stare at the World outside

that I have denied myself for so long.

It scares me.

Fear is safe.

The World outside contains

Hurts but Joys too.

I take a step

towards the Outside.

The sunlight shines on my face.

I forget

The Black Wall

By Khusphal Bansi

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

Oh yes, this painting has definite Rembrandt tendencies

Quite, the allegorical, phenomenal, cleavage side of this sculpture

is such as to represent man's eternal search, foundation

to rhubarb rhubarb oink oink murmur murmur.

Er, mm, I though ti was just a black box?!

Oh! Hush descends on the gallery as fifty faces look at me.

Then, quietly a voice begins:

"The assignation of the grammalogue

leads one to believe that the oneiro

side of the recondite meaning is such as to counteract the unremunerative

imagery of the quadrilateral."

Oh, I see.

Slowly, the fifty voices fly back into action

I watch dazedly as words such as

quatrefoil and impuissant

are bantered back and forth.

Am I still in an English speaking country?

Has the world gone mad?

What I see is a black box

is said to represent the meaning of life?

When did humanity catch the speed boat

into the sea of obtuse meanings?

Furthermore - when did I jump off?

I suppose, if I am to join this fast lane of language

all I have to say is

the impudent people who improvidently began us

on this path of impropriety

have had the improbity

of beginning the human race on to the road to imposture.

By Khusphal Bansi