farouk asvat : poems: June 2012

26 June 2012

THESE WARS WITH WINTER NIGHTS

THESE WARS WITH WINTER NIGHTS

These wars with winter nights

Are over now,

Beside your supple body

Enveloping me

In a determined embrace

And yet

We loose so many moons

Denying each other,

Uncertain,

Uncertainties heaped upon uncertainties

Like sand rising upon sand

I should not let you go

I whisper to the empty room

Banging my fist against

The cruel whims of fate

That led an army of passion

Against her inarticulate silence

On those cold summer nights

So now,

She too is away

So far away

From where I knew her once

Like a petal falling in the night

Like thunder frightening me

In the comfort of the afternoon

Grey with rain

I recall you coming,

Wave upon wave,

Wiping out memory

Leaving fresh sand

And tiny breathing spaces for life

Like she came,

Wave upon wave,

Building an architecture

From kaleidoscopes of colour

Misty nights and burning flesh,

Nights that calmed down

In her troubled embrace

So come

And go

To whatever darkness you dwell in

To whatever mysteries trouble you,

Or fill my uncertain hours

With more uncertainty,

Your deep-throat'd laughter

Filling the world with masks,

My life with emptiness

So go

And come

And I will fill your troubled soul

With the certainty of my embrace:

Come,

And I will fill your brittle vase

With dewy breaths of flowers

Tied in happy ribbons

Jingling like trees

Full of blossoms

Celebrating life

Even though I know

You too will leave,

Leaving me dangling

Like a wounded bird

Shattered against the tree

composed: 1985 [johannesburg, 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

@ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

___________________________________________________________________________

¨ 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
___________________________________________________________________________

● DEZE OORLOGEN BIJ WINTERNACHT

Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Deze oorlogen bij winternacht

Zijn nu voorbij,

Naast je soepel lichaam

Dat zich rond mij wikkelt

In een stevige omhelzing

En toch,

We verliezen zovele manen

Elkander loochenend,

Onzeker

Onzekerheden opgehoopt

Zoals zand bovenop zand;

Ik had je niet moeten laten gaan

Fluister ik tot de lege kamer

Mijn vuisten ballend tegen

De wrede grillen van het lot

Dat een leger van hartstocht leidde

Tegen haar sprakeloos zwijgen

In die zomernachten vol kou

Dus nu,

Is ook zij verdwenen,

Zo ver hiervandaan

Vanwaar ik haar ooit kende

Als een bloemblad vallend in de nacht

Als onweer dat me angst aanjoeg

In de weelde van de middag

Grij s van de regen

Ik roep je komst op

Golf-na-golf,

Veeg herinnering uit

Laat vers zand achter

En minieme adempauzes om te leven

Zoals zij kwam,

Golf-na-golf,

Een bouwwerk scheppend

Van kaleidoscopen

Nevelige nachten en brandend vlees

Nachten die tot kalmte kwamen

In haar omhelzing

Dus kom

En ga nu

In wat voor duisternis je ook woont

Wat voor mysteries je ook mogen kwellen

Of vul mijn onzekere uren

Met meer onzekerheid

Je lach diep in je keel

Die de wereld met maskers vult

Mijn leven met leegte

Ga dus

En kom,

En ik vul je gekwelde ziel

Met de zekerheid van mijn omhelzing:

Kom, en ik zal je broze vaas vullen

Met bedauwde adem van bloemen

Met vrolijke linten gebonden

Rinkelend als bomen

Vol bloesem

Loftuiging op het leven

Zelfs a1 weet ik dat

Ook jij mij zult verlaten

Verlaten terwijl ik bengel

Als een gevende vogel

Te pletter gevlogen tegen de boom

Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes

___________________________________________________________________________

● ΑΥΤΟΙ ΟΙ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΙ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΝΥΧΤΕΣ ΧΕΙΜΩΝΑ

Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou

Αυτοί οι πόλεμοι με τις νύχτες του χειμώνα

Έχουν τελειώσει τώρα,

Δίπλα στο εύπλαστο σώμα σου

Που με περικλείει

Σε μια αποφασιστική αγκαλιά

Και ακόμη

Χάνουμε τόσα φεγγάρια

Αρνούμενοι ο ένας τον άλλον,

Αβέβαιοι,

Οι αβεβαιότητες συσσωρεύονται σε απανωτές αβεβαιότητες

Όπως η άμμος που υψώνεται πάνω στην άμμο

Δεν πρέπει να σε αφήσω να φύγεις

Ψιθυρίζω στο άδειο δωμάτιο

Χτυπώντας τη γροθιά μου ενάντια

Στις σκληρές ιδιοτροπίες της μοίρας

Που οδήγησε έναν στρατό πάθους

Ενάντια στην άναρθρη σιωπή της

Εκείνες τις κρύες νύχτες του καλοκαιριού

Ώστε τώρα,

Είναι κι αυτή μακριά

Τόσο απόμακρα

Από εκεί που την ήξερα κάποτε

Σαν πέταλο που πέφτει τη νύχτα

Σαν βροντή που με τρομάζει

Στην άνεση του απογεύματος

Γκρι με βροχή

Θυμάμαι τον ερχομό σου,

Κύμα επί κύματος,

Σβήνοντας τη μνήμη

Αφήνοντας φρέσκια άμμο

Και μικροσκοπικές ζωικές ανάσες

Σαν να ήρθε,

Κύμα επί κύματος,

Χτίζοντας μια αρχιτεκτονική

Από έγχρωμα καλειδοσκόπια

Νύχτες ομιχλώδεις και φλεγόμενες σάρκες,

Νύχτες που ηρέμησαν

Στην ταραγμένη αγκαλιά της

Έλα

Και φύγε λοιπόν

Σε όποιο σκοτάδι κατοικείς

Σε ό,τι μυστήρια σε προβληματίζουν,

Ή γέμισε τις αβέβαιες ώρες μου

Με περισσότερη αβεβαιότητα,

Το βαθύ γέλιο σου

Γεμίζει τον κόσμο με μάσκες,

Τη ζωή μου με κενό

Πήγαινε λοιπόν

Και έλα

Και θα γεμίσω την ταραγμένη ψυχή σου

Με τη βεβαιότητα της αγκαλιάς μου:

Έλα,

Και θα γεμίσω το εύθραυστο βάζο σου

Με δροσερές ανάσες λουλουδιών

Δεμένες σε χαρούμενες κορδέλες

Που θροΐζουν σαν δέντρα

Γεμάτα άνθη

Γιορτάζοντας τη ζωή

Παρόλο που ξέρω

Ότι κι εσύ θα φύγεις,

Αφήνοντάς με να κρέμομαι

Σαν πληγωμένο πουλί

Θρυμματισμένο στο δέντρο

Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou

___________________________________________________________________________

[] acknowledgements:

These Wars With Winter Nights was previously published in:

A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p53, 1987);

A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p45, 1988);

Matatu 5(3) (göttingen, germany, p11, 1989);

Deze Oorlogen Bij Winternacht: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);

ΜΟΝΟ ΣΕ ΒΛΕΠΩ ΣΤΟ ΣΚΟΤΑΔΙ : Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou (2022);

A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p66, 2007);

https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/2012/06/these-wars-with-winter-nights.html (26.06.2012);

A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);

A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p65, 2014).

___________________________________________________________________________

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 #these #wars #with #winter #nights

+ #Dutch & #Greek translations

● poems @ https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com

● linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/farouk-asvat-52a6b642

● sa history @ https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/mohamed-farouk-asvat

● wikipedia @ https://en.everybodywiki.com/Farouk_Asvat

● youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDlracNOh9E/faroukasvat

● all my books @ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

19 June 2012

THESE DUSTY YEARS

THESE DUSTY YEARS

We burn ourselves

In dancing effigies

Of our own desires

In the shadow of a soldier

Around ululating carousels

Where rusted braziers burn

Into cold ashen streets

Where the smell of white smoke

And bluegums burning

Mingle with the grotesque dance

Of ebony children

Burning

In the embrace

Of writhing skeletons

In a celebration of yellow carnations

And red flames

We devour souls

In one cold swoop

Of determined rhetoric

As we live on dreams

Poltergeists

In the guise of revolutionaries

From Tigani to 'Thekwini the lands are dry.

And the rain is in my heart.

The rain is in my heart:

Pienaarsrivier is an undulating snake, crack-skinned,

Where the highveld grass is aflame with dryness;

In Khuma a bullet-riddled corpse

Lies in a broken, bullet-ridden coffin;

In Zinyoka Biko walks amongst the hungry,

And Alexandra smells of fresh shit,

Sewerage flowing between the toes of children;

In Matlosana mohair veld sways in the breeze

Amidst the burning matchbox houses of Joubertina;

While Gauteng spits its bloody lungs out,

Crossroads celebrates its charred skeletons

Of burning shacks and broken hovels;

In Mgungundlovu poverty stalks

Like a hungry lion seeking children for heaven,

Even as Mandela paces in his sickly cell:

For here death is a constant song:

We have learnt that.

There is no patience

In our patience;

Life attacks

Like teargas

As if batons are stopped

By crunched skulls

As if you didn't know

Death sleeps here

Creeping up like a reality of ghosts

Here, amidst this pilgrimage and exile,

This promise of the fair

The foulest stench of sewers

This taste of blood and teargas

This muscle and air of my body

This city promising gold

Smelling of homebrew

Here, there are no afternoon rains

To cool the mind;

Heatwaves of desire

And shattered dreams of hope

Spiral up from the steaming tarmac

As pedestrians emerge from shops

Like whores after a raid

Weighed down by life:

For our lives are precarious,

And precariously

We hold on

To so many lives,

Shattered,

Poised between laughter and death

The tension of living

And dying within,

Exiles on the periphery of death

Learning

With hardened sensitivities

That there's always

Another side to a story,

That friends,

Like laughter,

Come knocking,

Like death,

On your skull

In a carousel of dreams

In a celebration of slogans

The rain is in my heart.

composed: 1985 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid]

[] Acknowledgements:

These Dusty Years was previously published in:

A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p57, 1987);

Dokumente Texte und Tendenzen VIII (Evangelische Akademie, Germany, p104, 1987);

Matatu 3(4) ed G Davis, M Manaka (Göttingen, Germany, p190, 1988);

A Celebration of Flames (Heller Fund, UC Berkeley, USA, p48, 1988);

Deze Stoffige Jaren: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);

African Literature In The Eighties (Matatu 10), ed D Riemenschneider, F Schulze-Engler,

(Rodopi, Amsterdam, Netherlands & Atlanta, p`, 1993);

A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p88, 2007);

www.faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com (19.06.2012);

A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);

A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p86, 2014).

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat

is now available on amazon: paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

the NOVEL The Gathering Of The Storm by Farouk Asvat