29 July 2014

THE GRAFFITTI / TATTOO mix

THE GRAFFITI / TATTOO MIX 
© Farouk Asvat  

          Come in
          Come in
          Come in
          To the delights of life,
          My flen'.


[] GRAFFITI 

● BORN TO SUFFER!
     is tattooed on our broken walls
     graffitied on our broken bodies

● BORN TO STRUGGLE!
          is the neon sign of our lives
          confronting itself philosophically
          in scarred tattoos and broken graffiti
          on unwashed skins
          and unplastered walls

● BORN TO FIGHT!
     is the only weed
     that survives in our townships
          flaming red leaves like open wounds
          fiery brown stems like itchy rifles
          shiny black badges like proud scars
     miraculously growing
     in our famished gardens

     ● FREE MANDELA!
          > with every box of kellog's rice krispies

     ● THIS NELSON IS NOT A SEAGULL!
          > He's a Jailbird
          > > he's an albatross around pw's neck

● BIKO LIVES!
     > shame they had to bury him

● ONE AZANIA!  ONE NATION!
          > one hamburger
               > > One Samoosa!

● BLACK POWER WASHES OUT STEYNS!

                                             > hanging
     ● NATIONAL DETAINEE'S ↑ DAY!

● FREEze ALL DETAINEES!

     ● TROOPS OUT!!!
          > okay okay, don't shout

● DIAL AK-47 FOR A REVOLUTION!

     ● ring AMANDLA AWETHU! for a good time!
               > phone me @ 4-2-4 or 3-2-3

                                                        > ERECTION!
● ONE MAN + ONE VOTE  =  ONE ELECTION!

     ● CONTRACEPTIVES SHOULD BE USED
          ON EVERY CONCEIVABLE OCCASION!

● DON'T WOMANIZE!
               > economize!
     > CONDOMIZE
          >> CONDO-mize, man!

● APARTAID'S 100% FATAL!

     ● BOTHA HAS AIDS!
          > Rajbansi
             >> & Hendrickse

● I HAVE HALF A MIND TO JOIN THE BROEDERBOND!
               > that's all you need!

                                       > one ballot
     ● ONE SETTLER! ONE BULLET!
                    >> one blanket
                         >>> one banquet

● GEORGIO ARMANI!
          > AWETHU!

     ● a headline you missed out on:
          DONALD DUCK FLIES TO LUSAKA
          TO MEET ANC
               SA Reality Review (01.06.1986)


[] GRAFFITItti

            ● dagga en puss
                destroyed my beautiful life

  SHOWING SOON!
          amaDOOS
     starring p w botha

    COMING NEXT!
          amaDOOS TOO
     starring buthelezi, matanzima & mangope

● PICK A PRICK:
          Mandela …..  [x]
          De Klerk ….. [x]
     thank you! thank you!
          yes! yes!

● Don't Worral
          the lovely Heunis will provide


[] TATTOO'd ALL OVER

● YOU LOOKING AT ME?
          > is tattooed on my forehead

● IN
          > is tattooed on my right earlobe
● OUT
          > is tattooed on my left earlobe

● CUT ON DOTTED LINE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
          > is tattooed around my neck

● DOGS OF WAR
          > is tattooed over my knuckles

● SLAVE CHAIN ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
          > is tattooed around my ankles

● BORN TO SUFFER
          > is tattooed across my chest

● LOVE EVERYONE
    TRUST NO ONE
          > is tattooed across my heart


© farouk asvat

* original composed: 1985 - 1991 [Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid].
# english translation by farouk asvat: 2006 [Johannesburg, South Africa under new apartheid].

[] Acknowledgements:

# The Graffiti / Tattoo Mix was previously published in:
* Die Graffititti / Tattoo Mix was previously published in:

     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p46-49, 2006); # *
     Bra Frooks … (piquant publications, p38-41, 2006); *
     https://faroukasvat-lingo.blogspot.com (16.10.2012); * #
     https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (29.07.2014); * #
     Bra Frooks … (kindle, 2014); *
     Bra Frooks …  (amazon paperback, p34-39, 2014); *
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (kindle, 2014); #
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (amazon paperback, p44-48, 2014). #
_______________________________________________________________________________   

<> blog archive: 29 july 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 #graffiti #tattoo #mix 



22 July 2014

THE PILGRIM

THE PILGRIM  
© Farouk Asvat  

Exile is a pilgrimage away.
And life
Whoring with death
Is a moment away

     Towers
     Syrup-coated in sunset
     Scintillate invitations
     To the neon night
     As chocolate leaves
     Dance in the august wind
     In the mecca of towers

     Where the prodigal pilgrim of the land
     Has found the destitute temple of his dreams
     The sanctuary of his nightmares


© farouk asvat

composed: 1985 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid]

[] Acknowledgements:

The Pilgrim was previously published in:

     A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p25, 1987);
     De Pelgrim: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
     A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p29, 2007);
     www.faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (22.07.2012);
     A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
     A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p33, 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)
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
______________________________________________________________
© 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

[] please check out my blogs @:





books by farouk asvat: www.faroukasvat-books.blogspot.com

[] also link up on:






amazon kindle author @ www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

_______________________________________________________  
[] DE PELGRIM  

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Ballingschap is een bedevaart ver
En het leven
Hoererend met de dood
Is een ogenblik ver

     Torens
     Met siroop bedekt bij zonsondergang
     Fonkelende verlokkingen
     Voor de neon nacht
     En bladeren van chocola
     Dansen in d'augustuswind
     In het mecca van torens

     Waar de verloren pelgrim van het land
     De armzalige tempel van zijn dromen vond
     Heiligdom van zijn nachtmerries

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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
#a #celebration #of #flames #the #pilgrim 


15 July 2014

WE CAN GO TO SLEEP NOW

WE CAN GO TO SLEEP NOW  
     there is a darkness in here  
© Farouk Asvat  

We can go to sleep now.
There is a darkness in here.

There is nothing we can do
There is nothing we can say
Will change this house
Dancing with jubilation
Around the flaming walls
And collapsing roofs

We can go to sleep now.
There is a darkness in here.

There is nothing we can write
There is nothing we can say
Will change this house
Where children merrily burn along
To the rhythm of the revolution

We can go to sleep now.
There is a darkness in here.

There is nothing we can say
There is nothing we can do
Will change this land now
Where children chant in the streets:
     The revolution is just 'round the corner
     The second coming is here

We can go to sleep now.
There is a darkness in here.

There is nothing we can say
There is nothing we can write
Will change this land now
Because that is how
They liberate the country
Because that is how
They ruin the country

We can go to sleep now.
There is a darkness in here.


© farouk asvat

[] composed: 16.06.1995 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid].

[] Acknowledgements:

We Can Go To Sleep Now: there is a darkness in here was previously published in:

     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p113, 2006);
     www.faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (15.07.2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (kindle, 2014);
     The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (amazon paperback, p112, 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)
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
______________________________________________________________
© 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

[] please check out my blogs @:





books by farouk asvat: www.faroukasvat-books.blogspot.com

[] also link up on:






amazon kindle author @ www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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
#we #can #go #to #sleep #now #there #is #a #darkness #in #here