MAGIC THEATRE
Coconut oil lamp burns through the night.
Shadow puppets dance across a linen screen.
The steady tintinnabulation of gamelon,
the occasional drum roll and rattle
accentuate the dalang's storytelling.
Step behind the curtain,
into the light.
The characters from Ramayana and Mahbharata stand out.
They are no more than leather cut outs,
colourful and intricate figures.
Musicians and storyteller are dressed in batik.
Beyond what one sees and hears,
what tales one is told,
what moral lessons one learns,
what entertainment one enjoys,
lies another truth.
It is one which one alone must discover and act upon.
But only when one sees beyond
the frivolity, the triviality, the materiality of this world.
© Breyel, Timm. "Magic Theatre". All rights reserved.
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