THE POETRY OF LOVE

THE POETRY OF LOVE  

© Farouk Asvat  

I live in the slums of my mind

Surrounded by the dancing garden

Of a million houries

And the pathetic pleading eyes

Of children sitting with cupped hands

Amidst a celebration of red carnations

And the motion of a thousand ugly vehicles

Patrolling the ashen streets

With the sound of gunfire

In their eyes

Come little children

Burning your fathers

In jubilation of nothing

Go bury yourselves in shame

Cremate your adolescent bravado

In a prison of a thousand white curtains

Fluttering in the breeze

Come guerilla fighter

That walks with the night

Stalks with the lion

Making your presence felt

In air-conditioned apartments

And discarded rubbish bins

Eating dried mopani worms

And farmhand offerings

Of porridge and wild spinach;

Come let us not part ways

For I hear the vision of bazookas

In my heart

In these lines that flow like sinews

For yours is the poetry of love

Ours the way of death

Ours is the road

That leads to the unburdening of the soul

To the singing of new anthems

© farouk asvat

composed: July 1985 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid]

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[§] 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

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● LIEFDES - POËZIE 

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Ik leef in de sloppen van mijn geest

Omgeven door de dansende tuin

Van miljoenen hoeri's

En de aandoenlijk smekende ogen

Van kinderen met handen hol als een kom

Temidden van een zee van anjers

En lelijke wagens die bij d uizenden voortgaan

Op patrouille in de straten van as

Het geluid van geweervuur

In hun ogen

Kom kindertjes

Jullie die je vaders verbranden

Jubelend om niets

Ga jezelf in schaamte begraven

Cremeer je jeugdige overmoed

In een gevangenis met duizend witte gordijnen

Fladderend in de wind

Kom guerillastrijder

Jij die loopt met de nacht

Sluipt met de leeuw

Die laat voelen dat je er bent

In luchtgekoelde appartementen

En wegwerp-vuilnisbakken

Jij die droge mopaniwormen eet

En wat een boerenhand je biedt

Aan morogo en pap;

Kom laat ons niet uiteengaan

Want ik hoor het visioen van bazoeka's

In mijn hart

In deze regels als zenuwprikkels

Want aan jou is de liefdes-poëzie

Aan ons de route naar de dood

Aan ons is de weg

Die leidt naar verlichting van de ziel

Het zingen van nieuwe liederen.

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes  

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● Η ΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ  

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou 

Ζω στις φτωχογειτονιές του μυαλού μου

Περιτριγυρισμένος από τον χορευτικό κήπο

Ενός εκατομμυρίου παρθένων

Και τα αξιολύπητα παρακλητικά μάτια

Παιδιών που κάθονται με κουκουλωμένα χέρια

Ανάμεσα σε μια γιορτή με κόκκινα γαρίφαλα

Και την κίνηση χιλίων άσχημων οχημάτων

Που περιπολούν στους κάτωχρους δρόμους

Με τον ήχο των πυροβολισμών

Στα μάτια τους

Ελάτε μικρά παιδιά

Καίνε τους πατεράδες σας

Με αγαλλίαση για το τίποτα

Πηγαίνετε να θάψετε τους εαυτούς σας στη ντροπή

Αποτεφρώστε την εφηβική ανδρεία σας

Σε μια φυλακή με χίλιες λευκές κουρτίνες

Που κυματίζουν στο αεράκι

Έλα αντάρτη πολεμιστή

Που περπατάς με τη νύχτα

Παραμονεύεις με το λιοντάρι

Κάνοντας αισθητή την παρουσία σου

Σε κλιματιζόμενα διαμερίσματα

Και σε απορριμένους κάδους σκουπιδιών

Τρώγοντας αποξηραμένα σκουλήκια μοπάνι

Και προσφορές για αγρόκτημα

Από χυλό και άγριο σπανάκι,

Ελάτε να μην χωρίσουμε τους δρόμους μας

Γιατί ακούω το όραμα των μπαζούκας

Στην καρδιά μου

Σε αυτές τις γραμμές που ρέουν σαν τένοντες

Γιατί δική σου είναι η ποίηση της αγάπης

Δικός μας ο δρόμος του θανάτου

Δικός μας είναι ο δρόμος

Που οδηγεί στην αποφόρτιση της ψυχής

Στο τραγούδι νέων ύμνων

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou 

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[] acknowledgements:

The Poetry Of Love was previously published in:

A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p62, 1987);

Writers' Forum (writers' forum, p3, june 1985);

A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p52, 1988);

Liefdes - Poëzie: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);

Η ΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ : Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);

Notre Librairie 122: (clef, paris, france, # 122, p143, april-june 1995),

     + French translation by Pauline Baggio: La Poesie de l'amour;

A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p80, 2007);

https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/2012/07/poetry-of-love.html (17.07.2012);

A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);

A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p78, 2014).

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© 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.

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the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat

is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $20 & kindle @ only $5

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#a #celebration #of #flames #the #poetry #of #love

● 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