27 May 2014

WHERE BLUE SKIES CRY ...

WHERE BLUE SKIES CRY IN THE AFTERNOON  
© Jill Townsend  

The sun scorches
Where blue skies cry
In the afternoon

The land breathes
In cross-currents of emotions
Collisions of oceans and winds
Reflect the minds and spirit
Of the people

Complexities and contrasts
Flourish and divide
Into pockets of resistance
Spiritually uplifting
Emotionally draining
Ebbing away into vast flatlands

Tall towers mirror
Dark secret places

There is corruption in power
As there is corruption in suffering
Breeding greed, betrayal and guilt.

Today is negated
By tomorrow.
Today is always more important
Than yesterday.

Uniforms and rhetoric
Disguise the soul
Masks fit every face
But never the eyes
- The eyes
   always tell
   another story -
So that every truth
Is also a lie


by kind permission of © Jill Townsend
_____________________________________________________________________________

letter/poem from Jill Townsend:
composed: 10.03.1986
[Carlton Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid].

     * I decided to include this letter/poem from Jill Townsend to me, as it was so incisive and perceptive in capturing the essence of South Africa and its people in the 1985-1987 period.  I was quite determined that The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs would be my last attempt to represent the events in South Africa in poetry; and so I felt that Jill's letter was an essential part of that portrayal of the country, its people, and its turmoil.  It should perhaps rather have been part of my collection A Celebration Of Flames, capturing the events and emotions of the mid 1980's. 

     Anyway, Jill's poem also reminded me of Basil Davidson's Report On Southern Africa (1952), which also gave an insight into the people of South Africa, with a profundity that South Africans themselves refuse to see, and are reluctant to appreciate.  The book was obviously banned in South Africa throughout the apartheid era, and Basil himself was considered persona non grata after his visit, and was unfortunately never able to return to the country to give the people of South Africa a valuable insight into themselves, during its many years of turmoil. 

§ farouk asvat
_____________________________________________________________________________
[] Acknowledgements:

Where Blue Skies Cry In The Afternoon was previously published in:

     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p106, 2006);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (kindle, 2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (amazon paperback, p103, 2014).

<> blog archive: 27 may 2014
_____________________________________________________________________________
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle

______________________________________________________________
[] please check out my blogs @:


[] please join me on:


______________________________________________________________
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

farouk asvat can be contacted at: farouk.asvat@gmail.com

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons of words #comparative literature #literary criticism
#the #wind #still #sings #sad #songs
#where #blue #skies #cry #in #the afternoon #jill #townsend 


20 May 2014

IMAGES THROUGH A CRACKED MIRROR

IMAGES THROUGH A CRACKED MIRROR  
© Farouk Asvat  

   Come, my child,
     Let me teach you
     Teach you
     About those brutes
     That kill our children
     Besmirch our women
     Smother our men

     Come, my child,
     Let me teach you
     Teach you to hate
     Hate with equal passion
     For you know
     Too much love
     My child


        My people still wait
          For some Black Moses
          Come to liberate my country;
          But the weaving lies in the hand of the weaver
          Revolutions are made by revolutionaries
          And those living on hope
          Will have only hope to feed upon
          For destiny determines nothing


   Death descends on those defenceless:
     The political prisoner slipping on soap
     The baby sucking in vain
     Upon the brown dry cracked landscape
     Of her mother's breast


        Marx's children forget
          That this is not the British Museum
          In the nineteenth century
          That Azania's children
          Speak for Azania
          That the drumbeat of our ancestors
          Speak of bloody rains
          And bitter peace


   Your children have forgotten you, F.A.
     They merely burn candles in protest
     Veering between obsequity to the Whiteman
     And disdain for the stinking Zim


        Do not sing to me of love
          That flourishes in the spring
          And gardens that kaleidoscope in summer

          Between these prison walls
          There are black hands
          Ready
          To pluck khaki weeds


   Our ancestors are young men
     Too nominal to plant their seeds
     Or nurture an African harvest

     So we plant their supple bodies
     In freshly tilled earth
     Singing and dancing
     As we die
     Our way to another death


© farouk asvat

[] composed: 1976 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid].

[] Acknowledgements:

Images Through A Cracked Mirror was previously published in:

     Descant 69, vol 21 (2) (Descant, Toronto, Canada, p35, Summer 1990);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p103, 2006);
     www.faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (20.05.2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (kindle, 2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (amazon paperback, p101, 2014).

() Come My Child (as You Know Too Much Love,
     part of Images Through A Cracked Mirror): previously published in:
     Belgravia High School brochure
     (Belgravia High school, Silver Jubilee, Cape Town, p29, 1981)};

() My People (still wait):
     part of Images Through A Cracked Mirror): previously published in
     University Students' Bursary Committee (Witwatersrand, p11, 1981);
     Vuka (Crescent Publications, Durban, p31, 1981)};
______________________________________________________________

<> blog archive: 20 may 2014
______________________________________________________________
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle

______________________________________________________________
[] please check out my blogs @:


[] please join me on:


______________________________________________________________
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

farouk asvat can be contacted at: farouk.asvat@gmail.com

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons of words #comparative literature #literary criticism
#the wind still sings sad songs #images #through #a #cracked #mirror 


13 May 2014

THE BLOODY FLAG

THE BLOODY FLAG  
© Farouk Asvat  

Orange stains
White gods
and Blue blood
     flapping in the wind

     The stench of death
     is like maroon icicles dripping
     from fresh wounds
     The stain of death
     is like a dot of ash
     a dot of vermilion
     through the forehead
     The stench of death
     is like rocks in my fist
     teargas on my face
     water in my hands
     The stain of death
     is like the mournful tears
     of grieving mothers
     in my bloody eyes


© farouk asvat

[] composed: 16.06.1985 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid].

[] Acknowledgements:

The Bloody Flag was previously published in:

     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p102, 2006);
     www.faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (13.05.2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (kindle, 2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (amazon paperback, p100, 2014).
______________________________________________________________

<> blog archive: 13 may 2014
______________________________________________________________
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle

______________________________________________________________
[] please check out my blogs @:


[] please join me on:


______________________________________________________________
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

farouk asvat can be contacted at: farouk.asvat@gmail.com

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons of words #comparative literature #literary criticism
#the #wind #still #sings #sad #songs #the #bloody #flag