SOMETHING LINGERS
© Farouk Asvat
If
there is no first coming
There
are no second thoughts
Even
though the flames are out
And
the night is dark
But
something lingers
The
architecture of the wind
The
splendour of the shooting star
The
meanderings of the mind
The
ululating dunes
Linger
Even
when the pane is misted over
And
a heap of silence lies between us
Even
when only a line spun by a spider
Connects
across the empty vastness of the desert
Something
like love lingers
Even
in animosity
© farouk asvat
composed: 1985 [cape town, south africa under #apartheid ]
___________________________________________________________________________
[§] 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
(literary criticism)
¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
___________________________________________________________________________
¨ A CELEBRATION OF FLAMES by FAROUK
ASVAT
§ WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD
""A Celebration of Flames" is a
powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises
from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one
of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and
lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines
the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal
relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights
into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang."
● Vita Award
citation
"Like hesitating snowflakes his words are fascinating
in their capricious wilfulness - like unexpected strokes of a whip."
● Susanne Baackmann,
University Of Albuquerque, USA
"His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity,
it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."
● Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand, The
Indicator
""A Celebration of Flames" (is) a
powerful, impassioned call. I admire the
sanity and courage of this. Your
position and perception make you one of the few who can write on this subject
without obscenity."
● Lionel Abrahams, editor
Purple Renoster & Sesame
"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: -
like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the
voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."
● Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog
"you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas -
you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac
surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy "
● Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan
"Out of an angry silence, a
polished poet is born."
● Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail
___________________________________________________________________________
● IETS BLIJFT ER HANGEN
Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes
Als de eerste
toenadering er niet is
Volgen er geen
gedachten,
Ook al is het vuur gedoofd
En de nacht donker.
Maar iets
blijft er hangen:
De
architectuur van de wind
De
flonkering van de vallende ster
Het
doolhofvan de geest
De
jammerende duinen
Blijven
hangen
Zelfs
wanneer de ruiten beslagen zijn
En er
tussen ons een massa stilte ligt
Zelfs als slechts
het draadje van een spin
De lege
uitgestrektheid der woestijn doortekt
Blijft er iets
als liefde hangen
Zelfs in
vijandigheid
Dutch translation by kind
permission of Irene Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
● ΚΑΤΙ ΠΑΡΑΜΟΝΕΥΕΙ
Greek
translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Αν δεν υπάρχει ο
πρώτος ερχομός
Δεν υπάρχουν
δεύτερες σκέψεις
Παρόλο που οι
φλόγες έχουν σβήσει
Και η νύχτα είναι
σκοτεινή
Όμως κάτι
παραμονεύει
Η αρχιτεκτονική
του ανέμου
Η λαμπρότητα του
πεφταστεριού
Οι περιπλανήσεις
του μυαλού
Το μούγκρισμα των
αμμόλοφων
Παραμονεύουν
Ακόμα κι όταν το
τζάμι είναι θολό
Και ένας σωρός
σιωπής βρίσκεται ανάμεσά μας,
Ακόμα κι όταν μόνο
μια γραμμή γνέθετε από αράχνη
Συνδέεται στην
άδεια απεραντοσύνη της ερήμου
Κάτι σαν αγάπη
παραμονεύει
Ακόμα και στην
έχθρα
Greek
translation by kind permission of © Paulos
Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
Something Lingers was previously published in:
Realities (blac, cape town, p11,
spring 1985);
A Celebration Of Flames, (donker, p51, 1987);
A Celebration of
Flames, (heller fund, uc
berkeley, california, usa, p43, 1988);
Iets Blijft Er Hangen: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΚΑΤΙ ΠΑΡΑΜΟΝΕΥΕΙ
: Greek
translation by Paulos
Ioannou (2022):
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p52, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p52, 2014).
___________________________________________________________________________
© 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 yuan (ren men bi) or US$1,500.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness
In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in
paperback @ $20 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
#love #literature #fiction
#novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of
#words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#a #celebration #of #flames #something
#lingers
● poems @ https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com
● linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/farouk-asvat-52a6b642
● wikipedia @ https://en.everybodywiki.com/Farouk_Asvat
● all my books @ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat
● BE
A REVOLUTIONARY!
"Remember
that the highest rank that the human species can reach is to be a revolutionary."
●
Ernesto (Ché) Guevara
"Always
be a poet, even in prose."
●
Charles Baudelaire
"Read
ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods."
●
Ancient Chinese Proverb
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