THERE IS NOTHING TO BELIEVE IN
© Farouk
Asvat
There
is nothing more to say.
Politeness
can be devastating
Love
can turn to laughter
As
I sit here in the corner
With
crumpled heart
Wondering
what it's all about
While
my mentors seek wisdom
In
silence
Or
strategies of a new kind
But
still
New
friendships come from old hurts
And
tomorrow you'll see me
Quickfooted
and clowning on the corner
Wondering
what it's all about
© farouk asvat
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
___________________________________________________________________________
¨ 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● ER
IS NIETS OM IN TE GELOVEN
Dutch
translation by © Irene Scheltes
Er is niets om in te geloven
Beleefdheid kan vernietigend zijn
Liefde kan omslaan in spot
Terwijl ik hier in een hoekje zit
Met verkreukeld hart
En me afvraag aar het allemaal om draait
Terwijl mijn leermeesters wijsheid zoeken
In stilte
Of nieuwe strategieën.
Maar toch,
Nieuwe vriendschappen ontstaan uit oude pijn;
En morgen zul je me zien
Snelvoetig, clownesk op de hoek
Me afvragend waar het allemaal om draait
Dutch
translation by kind permission of © Irene
Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
● ΔΕΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ
ΤΙΠΟΤΑ ΝΑ ΠΙΣΤΕΨΩ
Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Δεν υπάρχει
τίποτα να πιστέψω.
Η ευγένεια
μπορεί να είναι καταστροφική
Η αγάπη
μπορεί να μετατραπεί σε γέλιο
Καθώς
κάθομαι εδώ στη γωνία
Με
τσαλακωμένη καρδιά
Αναρωτιέμαι
περί τίνος πρόκειται
Ενώ οι
μέντορες μου αναζητούν τη σοφία
Στη σιωπή
Ή
στρατηγικές ενός νέου είδους
Αλλά ακόμα
Νέες φιλίες
προέρχονται από παλιές πληγές
Και αύριο θα
με δεις
Γοργοπόδαρο
και χαζολογώντας στη γωνία
Να αναρωτιέμαι περί τίνος πρόκειται
Greek translation by kind permission of ©
Paulos Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
There Is Nothing More
To Say / There Is Nothing To Believe In was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p36, 1987);
A Celebration of
Flames (Heller Fund, UC Berkeley, California, USA, p30,
1988);
Horses: Athlone (ekapa & buchu
books, cape town, p15, 1988);
Er Is Niets Om In Te Geloven: Dutch translation by Irene
Scheltes (1989);
ΔΕΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΤΙΠΟΤΑ ΝΑ ΠΙΣΤΕΨΩ : Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou;
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p48, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p48, 2014).
(new edited version: 17.04.2012)
___________________________________________________________________________
© 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 #there
#is #nothing #to #believe #in
● 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
#liberate #palestine
#stop #massacres
#stop #genocide
