Flags of Renunciation: Subcontinental Poems

These poems take a sometimes irreverent look at the myths and stories of the Indian subcontinent. Why did King Yudisthir journey to heaven with his dog - what happened when he got there and what does it mean? Were King Dushyanta and Princess Shakuntala unlucky or foolish? How did their love get into a ring? Why did Savitri want a hundred sons and had she thought through the implications? What has the god Shiva got to do with Wotan or King Arthur and what is the link between the birth of Lord Krishna and the birth of Jesus Christ? This is a book of poems about a culture the author grew to love and strove to understand - that of India in all its complications and wonder. The poems are an attempt to bridge the gap between European culture and Indian culture. They are based on the stories of the great Hindu epics and myths and presented in the hope that the world that made them becomes explicable. They also explore ideas about India herself and the difficulties that may be experienced by someone moving between cultures, specifically from that of India to that of Europe. The stories that form the basis of the poems are described and explained and the poems themselves are grouped together according to their origin or their theme. The illustrations were made by the author to expand understanding of the poems. It is hoped that the reader will come away from the poems with a greater understanding for and sympathy with a culture (and its way of thinking) that is now taking its place on the world stage as an economic power.