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 ]
___________________________________________________________________________
[§] 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
■ Buy the paperback and get the kindle edition free!
___________________________________________________________________________
¨ 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● Ο ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΤΗΣ
Greek
translation by ©
Paulos Ioannou
Η εξορία
είναι μακρινό προσκύνημα.
Και η ζωή
Να
εκπορνεύεται με το θάνατο
Είναι μόνο
μια στιγμή μακριά
Πύργους
Σιροπιασμένο ηλιοβασίλεμα
Λαμπρά προσκλητήρια
Στους νυχτιάτικους λαμπτήρες
νέον
Καθώς φύλλα σοκολάτας
Χορεύουν στον άνεμο του
Αυγούστου
Στη μέκκα των πύργων
Όπου ο άσωτος προσκυνητής της
γης
Βρήκε τον πάμπτωχο ναό των
ονείρων του
Το καταφύγιο των εφιαλτών του
Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
The Pilgrim was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p25, 1987);
De Pelgrim: Dutch translation
by Irene Scheltes (1989);
Ο ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΤΗΣ: Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p29, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p33, 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 #the
#pilgrim
● 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
