Nazih Abou Afach
Fukushima
1. Tsunami
Wave after wave, wave upon wave.
The dead are not seen and their screams not heard.
Listen! Don’t listen! Listening without end.
No one can hear what the dead shriek.
Only the dead are able to hear their own screams.
.. .. .. ..
Come on! Come on! Run!
The earth is stuffed with its own ruin
And mankind is in need of a sanctuary.
2. Description of death
There is no one left on Earth who says:
“Oh you black poets!
You thrive by mocking hope and manufacturing despair all around you.”
No one remains who says:
“How can one describe death?”
.. .. .. ..
Must the scream of despair cause pain to the stone and the pillars of the temple to tremble
Before philosophers and scientists acknowledge the sound
Of one who suffers?
3. The Lord’s “six days”
The wicked say:
“The errors of the clever are always the worst.”
Maybe they are right.
.. .. ..
God forbid
I question the Lord’s intelligence
Or His good intentions
But I think Him somewhat careless,
Somewhat confused,
Romantic, reckless, incessantly emotional
And, of course, like all his poet friends,
Both highly inspired and incapable of self-belief.
.. .. .. ..
It seems to me that six days were not enough to build a dream.
A million years, a million ages, a million judgement days . . .
And He has altered nothing.
It is as if God is still endlessly
Practising on the product of His labour.
The Earth is still not suitable for life to this day
And nor are its people.
When will that momentous day come when God will stand and say:
“At last, We have found a solution
And humanity can
Begin living”?
4. Prayer to the god of the 21st century
Take the herd.
Take the herders.
Take the philosophers, militias and army leaders.
But don’t lay your hand on a child.
Take the fortresses, the monasteries, the brothels and the pillars of the temple.
Take everything on Earth.
Take everything which devalues the Earth.
Take the Earth.
And let the children dream.
If they go up into the mountains
Don’t send earthquakes beneath them.
If they go into the valleys
Don’t let floods loose upon them.
The children are our children and Yours:
Give them solid ground.
Publisher: First published on PIW, , 2011
Fukushima
1. TsunamiGolf na golf. Golf op golf
Doden worden niet gezien, kreten niet gehoord
Luister! Luister niet! Luisteren is zonder zin
Niemand hoort wat doden schreeuwen
Alleen doden zijn in staat hun eigen schreeuw te horen
.. .. .. ..
Kom! Kom! Ren
De wereld ligt vol puin
Mensen zoeken toevluchtsoorden
2. Beschrijving van de dood
Nog steeds zegt iemand op de aarde
Zwarte dichters
jullie bespotten hoop en verspreiden wanhoop
Mensen vragen nog steeds
Hoe beschrijf je dood
.. .. .. ..
Moeten wanhoopskreten stenen pijnigen, tempelzuilen laten trillen
tot filosofen en stemanalisten geloven
dat iemand lijdt?!
3. “De zes dagen” van de Heer
Slechte mensen zeggen:
“fouten van deskundigen zijn de ergste”
Mogelijk hebben ze gelijk
.. .. ..
God bewaar me
Ik twijfel niet aan de geestesgaven van de Heer
niet aan Zijn bedoelingen
maar ik denk dat Hij soms nalatig is
en verward
romantisch, achteloos, eindeloos emotioneel
en natuurlijk, als zijn dichtervrienden
geïnspireerd en niet in staat tot zelfvertrouwen
.. .. ..
Ik denk dat “zes dagen” niet genoeg waren voor het verwerklijken van een droom
Een miljoen jaar! Een miljoen eeuwen! Een miljoen opstandingen!
En er is niets veranderd
Alsof God, nog steeds, vergeefs
voortgaat met het grondwerk van zijn schepping
De aarde is nog niet geschikt voor leven
en de mens ook niet
Op welke morgen van de opstanding zal God stilstaan en zeggen:
Wij hebben eindelijk de oplossing gevonden
nu kan de mens
gaan leven?!
4. Gebed tot de God van de 21ste eeuw
Neem de kudde
neem de herders van het vee
neem de filosofen, de gelovigen en legerleiders
maar steek uw hand niet uit naar kinderen
Neem de forten, kloosters, banken, hoerententen, tempelzuilen
neem alles wat op aarde is
alles wat afdoet aan het aanzien van de aarde
neem de aarde
maar laat kinderen dromen
Als zij klimmen in de bergen
wek geen beving onder hen
als zij dalen naar de wadi
zend geen vloedgolf achter hen
onze kinderen zijn het en de uwe
richt de aarde in voor hen
12/3/2011
From: Chaos & Order
Publisher: Poetry International, Rotterdam
Fukushima
1. Tsunami
Wave after wave, wave upon wave.
The dead are not seen and their screams not heard.
Listen! Don’t listen! Listening without end.
No one can hear what the dead shriek.
Only the dead are able to hear their own screams.
.. .. .. ..
Come on! Come on! Run!
The earth is stuffed with its own ruin
And mankind is in need of a sanctuary.
2. Description of death
There is no one left on Earth who says:
“Oh you black poets!
You thrive by mocking hope and manufacturing despair all around you.”
No one remains who says:
“How can one describe death?”
.. .. .. ..
Must the scream of despair cause pain to the stone and the pillars of the temple to tremble
Before philosophers and scientists acknowledge the sound
Of one who suffers?
3. The Lord’s “six days”
The wicked say:
“The errors of the clever are always the worst.”
Maybe they are right.
.. .. ..
God forbid
I question the Lord’s intelligence
Or His good intentions
But I think Him somewhat careless,
Somewhat confused,
Romantic, reckless, incessantly emotional
And, of course, like all his poet friends,
Both highly inspired and incapable of self-belief.
.. .. .. ..
It seems to me that six days were not enough to build a dream.
A million years, a million ages, a million judgement days . . .
And He has altered nothing.
It is as if God is still endlessly
Practising on the product of His labour.
The Earth is still not suitable for life to this day
And nor are its people.
When will that momentous day come when God will stand and say:
“At last, We have found a solution
And humanity can
Begin living”?
4. Prayer to the god of the 21st century
Take the herd.
Take the herders.
Take the philosophers, militias and army leaders.
But don’t lay your hand on a child.
Take the fortresses, the monasteries, the brothels and the pillars of the temple.
Take everything on Earth.
Take everything which devalues the Earth.
Take the Earth.
And let the children dream.
If they go up into the mountains
Don’t send earthquakes beneath them.
If they go into the valleys
Don’t let floods loose upon them.
The children are our children and Yours:
Give them solid ground.
From: Chaos & Order
Publisher: 2011, First published on PIW, Rotterdam
Fukushima
1. Tsunami
Wave after wave, wave upon wave.
The dead are not seen and their screams not heard.
Listen! Don’t listen! Listening without end.
No one can hear what the dead shriek.
Only the dead are able to hear their own screams.
.. .. .. ..
Come on! Come on! Run!
The earth is stuffed with its own ruin
And mankind is in need of a sanctuary.
2. Description of death
There is no one left on Earth who says:
“Oh you black poets!
You thrive by mocking hope and manufacturing despair all around you.”
No one remains who says:
“How can one describe death?”
.. .. .. ..
Must the scream of despair cause pain to the stone and the pillars of the temple to tremble
Before philosophers and scientists acknowledge the sound
Of one who suffers?
3. The Lord’s “six days”
The wicked say:
“The errors of the clever are always the worst.”
Maybe they are right.
.. .. ..
God forbid
I question the Lord’s intelligence
Or His good intentions
But I think Him somewhat careless,
Somewhat confused,
Romantic, reckless, incessantly emotional
And, of course, like all his poet friends,
Both highly inspired and incapable of self-belief.
.. .. .. ..
It seems to me that six days were not enough to build a dream.
A million years, a million ages, a million judgement days . . .
And He has altered nothing.
It is as if God is still endlessly
Practising on the product of His labour.
The Earth is still not suitable for life to this day
And nor are its people.
When will that momentous day come when God will stand and say:
“At last, We have found a solution
And humanity can
Begin living”?
4. Prayer to the god of the 21st century
Take the herd.
Take the herders.
Take the philosophers, militias and army leaders.
But don’t lay your hand on a child.
Take the fortresses, the monasteries, the brothels and the pillars of the temple.
Take everything on Earth.
Take everything which devalues the Earth.
Take the Earth.
And let the children dream.
If they go up into the mountains
Don’t send earthquakes beneath them.
If they go into the valleys
Don’t let floods loose upon them.
The children are our children and Yours:
Give them solid ground.
Publisher: 2011, First published on PIW,
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