Sedona Poetry Slam returns for 15th season on Saturday, Oct. 7

The Sedona Poetry Slam returns for its 15th season Saturday, Oct. 7. Performance poets will bring high-energy, competitive spoken word to the Mary D. Fisher Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m. 

A poetry slam is like a series of high-energy, three-minute one-person plays, judged by the audience. Anyone can sign up to compete in the slam for the $75 grand prize and $25 second-place prize. 

To compete in the slam, poets will need three original poems, each lasting no longer than three minutes. No props, costumes nor musical accompaniment are permitted. The poets are judged Olympics-style by five members of the audience selected at random at the beginning of the slam.

Slam poetry is an art form that allows written page poets to share their work alongside theatrical performers, hip-hop artists and lyricists. Poets come from as far away as Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, competing against adult poets from Sedona and Cottonwood, college poets from Northern Arizona University and youth poets from Sedona Red Rock High School. All types of poetry are welcome on the stage, from street-wise hip-hop and narrative performance poems, to political rants and introspective confessionals. Any poem is a "slam" poem if performed in a competition. All poets get three minutes per round to entertain and inspire the audience with their creativity.

The Mary D. Fisher Theatre is located at 2030 W. SR 89A, Suite A-3, in West Sedona. Tickets are $12. For tickets, call 282-1177 or visit SedonaFilmFestival.org.

The next poetry slam of the season will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, featuring R.J. Walker, of Salt Lake City. Subsequent slams will be on Saturdays Feb. 3; March 9; April 13, featuring Briana Grace Hammerstrom of Portland. Ore., by way of Flagstaff, May 11 and finally on June 8.

The prize money is funded in part by a donation from Verde Valley poetry supporters Jeanne and Jim Freeland.

Email foxthepoet@yahoo.com to sign up early to compete or by the Friday before the slam or at the door the day of the slam. Poets who want to compete should purchase a ticket in case the roster is filled before they arrive. 

For more information, visit sedonafilmfestival.com or foxthepoet.blogspot.com. 

For a full list of slam poetry events in Arizona, visit azpoet.com.

What is Poetry Slam? 

Founded at the Green Mill Tavern in Chicago in 1984 by Marc Smith, poetry slam is a competitive artistic sport designed to get people who would otherwise never go to a poetry reading excited about the art form when it becomes a high-energy competition. Poetry slams are judged by five randomly chosen members of the audience who assign numerical value to individual poets' contents and performances.

Poetry slam has become an international artistic sport, with more than 100 major poetry slams in the United States, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. Slam poets have opened at the Winter Olympics, performed at the White House and at the United Nations General Assembly and were featured on "Russell Simmons' Def Poets" on HBO.

Sedona has sent four-poet teams to represent the city at the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C., Boston, Cambridge, Mass., Oakland, Calif., Decatur, Ga., Denver and Chicago.

"Lessons I Learned From Selena" by Gigi Bella, at Project X, Bronx N.Y.

"Lessons I Learned From Selena" by Gigi Bella, at Project X, Bronx N.Y.

https://www.SlamFind.com is a simple yet powerful platform for you to find live spoken word venues near you and watch slam poetry performance videos from around the world

Follow Gigi Bella at: @gigibellag

Filmed at Project X in Bronx NY: https://www.facebook.com/theBXproject/

"OCD" by Neil Hilborn

"OCD"

by Neil Hilborn

The first time I saw her,
Everything in my head went quiet.
All the ticks, all the constantly refreshing images just disappeared.
When you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, you don’t really get quiet moments.
Even in bed, I’m thinking:
Did I lock the doors? Yes.
Did I wash my hands? Yes.
Did I lock the doors? Yes.
Did I wash my hands? Yes.
But when I saw her, the only thing I could think about was the hairpin curve of her lips.
Or the eyelash on her cheek—
the eyelash on her cheek—
the eyelash on her cheek.
I knew I had to talk to her.
I asked her out six times in thirty seconds.
She said yes after the third one, but none of them felt right, so I had to keep going.
On our first date, I spent more time organizing my meal by color than I did eating it, or talking to her.
But she loved it.
She loved that I had to kiss her goodbye sixteen times or twenty-four times at different times of the day.
She loved that it took me forever to walk home because there are lots of cracks on our sidewalk.
When we moved in together, she said she felt safe, like no one would ever rob us because I definitely lock the door eighteen times.
I’d always watch her mouth when she talked—
when she talked—
when she talked—
when she talked;
when she said she loved me, her mouth would curl up at the edges.
At night, she’d lay in bed and watch me turn all the lights off.
And on, and off, and on, and off, and on, and off, and on, and off, and on, and off.
She’d close her eyes and imagine that the days and nights were passing in front of her.
But then.
She said I was taking up too much of her time.
That I couldn’t kiss her goodbye so much because I was making her late for work.
When she said she loved me, her mouth was a straight line. When I stopped in front of a crack in the sidewalk, she just kept walking.
And last week she started sleeping at her mother’s place.
She told me that she shouldn’t have let me get so attached to her; that this whole thing was a mistake, but.
How can it be a mistake that I don’t have to wash my hands after I touch her?
Love is not a mistake, and it’s killing me that she can run away from this and I just can’t.
I can’t go out and find someone new because I always think of her.
Usually, when I obsess over things, I see germs sneaking into my skin.
I see myself crushed by an endless succession of cars.
And she was the first beautiful thing I ever got stuck on.
I want to wake up every morning thinking about the way she holds her steering wheel.
How she turns shower knobs like she opening a safe.
How she blows out candles—
blows out candles—
blows out candles—
blows out candles—
blows out—
Now, I just think about who else is kissing her.
I can’t breathe because he only kisses her once -
He doesn’t care if it’s perfect!
I want her back so bad,
I leave the door unlocked.
I leave the lights on.

Neil Hilborn

Website | Instagram @neilicorn | Facebook @neilhilborn | Twitter @neilicorn

Get Neil’s book, THE FUTURE: http://bit.ly/neilfuture

Neil Hilborn is a College National Poetry Slam champion, and a 2011 graduate with honors from Macalester College with a degree in Creative Writing. He has two full-length collections of poetry: Our Numbered Days (Button Poetry, 2015) and The Future (Button Poetry, 2018). His chapbook, Clatter is also available.

Neil was a member of the 2011 Macalester Poetry Slam team, which ranked first in the nation at the 2011 College National Poetry Slam. He co-coached the 2012 Macalester team, leading them to a second place finish nationally. He was also a member of the Minneapolis adult National Poetry Slam team in 2011, which placed 5th out of 80 teams from cities across the country at the adult National Poetry Slam. He is the co-founder of Thistle, a Macalester literary magazine, and has run numerous writing workshops with college and high school students. His work has been featured in publications such as Borderline Magazine and Orange Quarterly.

"In Which I Do Not Fear Harvey Dent" by Brenna Twohy

 

"In Which I Do Not Fear Harvey Dent" by Brenna Twohy

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About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

Hanif Abdurraqib, poet and 2021 MacArthur Fellow

Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. 

His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York 

Times. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. With Big Lucks, he released a limited edition chapbook, Vintage Sadness, in summer 2017 (you cannot get it anymore and he is very sorry.) 

"All Of The Ways I've Kept Myself Alive"  by Hanif Abdurraqib

His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. 

His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House, and won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. 

He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas press in February 2019. The book became a New York Times Bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. 

In 2021, he released the book A Little Devil In America with Random House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. 

The book won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the Gordon Burn Prize. Hanif is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.

"A Poem In Which No Black People Are Dead"
by Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib

Get Hanif's book, THE CROWN AIN'T WORTH MUCH: http://bit.ly/hanifcrown

"Some I Love Who are Dead" by Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib

Become a Member for exclusive perks and videos: https://bit.ly/ButtonMember

"Ok, I'm Finally Ready To Say Sorry For That One Summer" by Hanif Abdurraqib

Hanif Abdurraqib

Music Critic, Essayist, and Poet | Class of 2021

Forging a distinctive style of cultural and artistic criticism through the lens of popular music and autobiography.

 

Hanif Abdurraqib is a music critic, essayist, and poet using the lens of popular music to examine the broader culture that produces and consumes it. With an intimate and welcoming writing style that establishes an immediate connection with readers, he blends autobiography, social history, and keen insights into specific technical and emotional aspects of a song, an album, or a performance.

Many of the essays in Abdurraqib’s first collection, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us (2017), grew out of reviews and articles he wrote while a journalist; taken together, they form a deeply personal consideration of self-identity and the continued suffering inflicted on Black bodies at the hands of police and others. For example, he writes about attending a Bruce Springsteen concert days after visiting a memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and struggling to reconcile his technical appreciation of the music with the racialized and gendered stories told by the lyrics. In his book Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest (2019), Abdurraqib traces the three-decade history of the pioneering hip-hop group and its impact within the larger hip-hop movement. He writes with clear affection for the group, and his assessment of the social and political atmosphere in which it operated includes reflections on how those same forces shaped his childhood and his experience of the music. Some sections are stylized as personal letters directed to members of the group, while others analyze its shifting aesthetic practices, such as how and why their wide-ranging use of sampling in early releases was later curtailed. Abdurraqib delves more deeply into historical research for his most recent book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (2021). His thought-provoking observations on key artists and cultural moments in music, film, dance, and comedy—ranging from William Henry Lane, a nineteenth-century minstrel dancer who performed for White audiences in blackface, to Beyoncé’s 2016 Super Bowl appearance and the dance and music television show Soul Train—form a focused analysis of Blackness and a celebration of Black identity. Abdurraqib uses particular events and personal experiences, such as a live performance by a Black punk band or reminiscences about Wu Tang Clan, to explore themes such as Black anger and the entertainment industry’s long history of exploiting and abusing Black artists.

In addition to his writing on music, Abdurraqib is a noted poet. Pop culture and music feature heavily in his poetry, which ranges across subjects both personal and public and addresses themes of race, class, and the politics of our present moment. Omnivorous in his influences and prolific in his output, Abdurraqib is forging a new form of cultural criticism, one that is informed by lived experience and offers incisive social and artistic critiques.

"At My First Punk Rock Show Ever" by Hanif Abdurraqib

performing at Camp Bar in Saint Paul, MN.

About Button Poetry:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

"It's A Lot" by Jon Sands

"It's A Lot" by Jon Sands

reading at Berl's Poetry Shop in Brooklyn, December 12th, 2018. 

Jon Sands is a winner of the 2018 National Poetry Series, selected for his second book, It's Not Magic (Beacon Press, 2019). He is also the author of The New Clean, and the co-host of The Poetry Gods Podcast. His work has been featured in the New York Times and anthologized in The Best American Poetry. He teaches a weekly writing workshop for adults at Bailey House in East Harlem (an HIV/AIDS service center), and has represented New York City multiple times at the National Poetry Slam. He lives in Brooklyn. 

Order Jon's book, It's Not Magic, winner of the 2018 National Poetry Series, here: 

Indiebound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/it-s-not-magic-jon-sands/8990766

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Magic-Jon-Sands/dp/0807002259

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-not-magic-jonathan-sands/1130068966

"Tryouts" (Motionpoems) by Gary Jackson

 Feb 12, 2018

Subscribe to Button: http://bit.ly/buttonpoetry

Check out more beautiful films from Motionpoems: http://motionpoems.org

If you loved this poem, check out Hanif Abdurraqib: http://bit.ly/ImSorryforThatOneSummer

Button Facebook: http://facebook.com/buttonpoetry

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About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

"Medulla Linguae" by Christopher Fox Graham

"Medulla Linguae" 

by Christopher Fox Graham

Da mihi stigmata

altius quam pellis

super ossa mea spina

super omnes vertebras

in omni lingua humana

Threicae eorum verbum pro "poetica"

ut nulla lingua amplius sentiat aliena;

ut quaelibet vox humana

potest loqui verbum in me

Sit arabica et hebraica

sit iuxta sine lapidibus

Sit Cantonese et Hindi characteribus

link manibus tenere Swahili et Hutu in tabernaculum unius noctis

Vasca et Zuluensis et tandem tactus labia Vietnamica

dum Navajo caput in humero Malaeiae reclinat

loquimur sex milia linguarum

sed dolorem tempusque patiar

nulla vox humana potest loqui ad me

quin filtrum

ad os

African syllabis fiat

spatium communicare cum articulationibus Europaeis;

Asian morphemes,

and Aboriginal pronunciations;

aciem et sculpes eos

sicut organicum barcode in Braille

readable vermibus qui aliquando convertunt me

ad religionem pulvis et cinis

ut semel crediderunt

ante hunc cultum carnis et sanguinis

nos de luto

ludere brevis characteres in pluvia

gustent saporem verborum nostrorum

deficiant poetica

et redde terram

sic terra potest sentire gravitatem verborum nostrorum

et ne obliviscaris nos

cum extincti sumus

sicut species ante nos

ultimum verbum scindendi

in codice morse

ad basis meae spina

ut i

in coxis Cum dormies

.--. --- . .-. -.--

sit dots et inliditque propagationem

per omnia ossa mea in virum comprehensionis

si vocem perdam

Non possum etiam dicere verbum

percussoque digitos meos;

terebat tympanum

aut mutantur ictum ictum meae pulsatio

loqui cum sanguine

imaginari

sex milia linguarum

ludens spina mea

in 33-part Concordia

concentus me

cum melodiam quod sonat

medulla spinalis meum

resonans in cuniculo et prolixius tendebatur

amplificandae compositionis musicam

omnia ut basis mea cerebri

ubi detonates

et resonat in medio cranii

ricocheting

sex milia noua

ad idem verbum

per voces sex billion cantores

in sex trillion cogitationes

donec capere non possum amplius chao

et cantus eorum explodit a labiis meis

offerens mundo

momento synchronised intellectus

unius carmen

unius vocis

unius viri

unius instant

ante mundum blinks

perdidit focus

et audit resonare

tardius deficiet

sed recordatus est

sonus

poeticae nostrae

"Wika ng Gulugod" by Christopher Fox Graham

"Wika ng Gulugod"

by Christopher Fox Graham

bigyan mo ako ng tattoo

mas malalim pa sa balat

sa buto ng aking gulugod

papunta sa ibabaw ng bawat vertebrae

sa bawat wika ng tao

tattoo ang kanilang salita para sa 

"tula"

upang walang wikang makadama ng banyaga;

upang ang bawat tinig ng tao

makapagsalita ng salita sa akin

hayaan ang Arabe at Hebreo

magkatabi sa upuan na hindi binabato

hayaan ang mga character na Cantonese at Hindi

mag link ng mga kamay upang hawakan ang Swahili at Hutu sa isang hammock

hayaan mo na lang si Basque at Zulu sa wakas na makahawak ng lips Vietnamese

habang ang Navajo ay nakasandal ang ulo nito sa balikat ng Malay

anim na libong wika ang ating sinasalita

Pero tiisin ko ang sakit at panahon

kaya walang boses ng tao ang makapagsasalita sa akin

nang hindi nadarama

pababa sa buto

hayaan ang mga syllables ng Africa

ibahagi ang espasyo sa European articulations,

Mga morpema ng Asya,

at mga pagbigkas ng mga Aboriginal,

pumila sila at mag ukit

tulad ng isang organic barcode na nakasulat sa Braille

mababasa ng mga uod na balang araw ay mag convert ako pabalik

sa relihiyong alabok at abo

na minsan ay naniwala tayo

bago ang kultong ito ng laman at dugo

inilabas kami mula sa putik

upang gumanap ng maikling tauhan sa ulan

hayaan mo silang tikman ang lasa ng ating mga salita

hayaan mo silang ubusin ang tula

at ibalik sa lupa

para maramdaman ng lupa ang bigat ng ating mga salita

at huwag mo kaming kalimutan

kapag tayo ay naglaho

tulad ng species sa harap natin

mag ukit ng huling salita

sa morse code

sa paanan ng aking gulugod

para marinig ko ang ritmo ng salita

sa balakang ko pag natutulog ako

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

hayaan ang mga tuldok at dashes kumalat

sa buong lahat ng aking mga buto sa isang virus ng pag unawa

Kaya kung mawala ang boses ko

Nakakapagsalita pa rin ako ng isang salita

sa pagtapik sa aking mga daliri,

kumakabog ng drum

o binabago ang ritmo ng tibok ng puso ko

upang magsalita sa aking dugo

imagine mo na lang

anim na libong wika

naglalaro ng aking gulugod

sa 33-bahaging pagkakasundo

paggawa ng symphony sa akin

may himig na nagbabanyuhay

up ang spinal cord ko

palakas ng palakas ang pag alingawngaw sa lagusan

amplifying ang compounding musika

hanggang sa base ng utak ko

saan ito nagpapasabog

at resonates sa loob ng bungo ko

ricocheting

anim na libong bagong ekspresyon

para sa iisang salita

sa tinig ng anim na bilyong mang aawit

sa anim na trilyong kaisipan ko

hanggang sa hindi ko na kayang tumagal ng gulo

at sumasabog ang kanta nila sa aking mga labi

pag aalay ng mundo

isang sandali ng synchronized na pag unawa

ng isang kanta

ng isang tinig

ng isang tao

para sa isang iglap

bago pa man dumilat ang mundo

nawawalan ng focus

at nakikinig sa echo

unti unti nang nalalabo

pero naaalala 

ang tunog 

ng ating mga tula

"মেরুদণ্ডের ভাষা" By Christopher Fox Graham

Photo courtesy of Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

"মেরুদণ্ডের ভাষা" 

By Christopher Fox Graham

আমাকে একটি ট্যাটু দাও
ত্বকের চেয়েও গভীর
আমার মেরুদণ্ডের হাড়ের উপর
প্রতিটি কশেরুকার পৃষ্ঠে
প্রতিটি মানুষের ভাষায়
ট্যাটু তাদের শব্দের জন্য 
'কবিতা'
যাতে কোনো ভাষাই আর বিদেশী মনে না হয়;
যাতে প্রতিটি মানুষের কণ্ঠস্বর
আমার মধ্যে একটি শব্দ বলতে পারে

আরবি এবং হিব্রু
পাথর নিক্ষেপ না করে পাশাপাশি বসুন
ক্যান্টোনিজ এবং হিন্দি অক্ষরগুলি ছেড়ে দিন
সোয়াহিলি এবং হুতুকে হ্যামকে ধরে রাখতে হাত সংযুক্ত করুন
বাস্ক এবং জুলুকে অবশেষে ঠোঁট স্পর্শ করতে দিন ভিয়েতনামী
যখন নাভাজো মালয়ের কাঁধে মাথা রাখে

আমরা ছয় হাজার ভাষায় কথা বলি
কিন্তু আমি ব্যথা এবং সময় সহ্য করব
সুতরাং কোনও মানুষের কণ্ঠ আমার সাথে কথা বলতে পারে না
অনুভব না করে
হাড়ের নীচে

আফ্রিকান অক্ষরগুলি লিখুন
ইউরোপীয় উচ্চারণের সাথে স্থান ভাগ করুন,
এশিয়ান মর্ফিম,
এবং আদিবাসী উচ্চারণ,

তাদের সারিবদ্ধ করুন এবং তাদের খোদাই করুন
যেমন ব্রেইলে লেখা একটি জৈব বারকোড
কৃমি দ্বারা পাঠযোগ্য যা একদিন আমাকে আবার রূপান্তরিত করবে
ধুলো ও ছাইয়ের ধর্ম
যা আমরা একসময় বিশ্বাস করেছিলাম
মাংস এবং রক্তের এই সম্প্রদায়ের আগে
কাদামাটি থেকে আমাদের বের করে এনেছি
বৃষ্টিতে সংক্ষিপ্ত চরিত্রে অভিনয় করা

তাদেরকে আমাদের শব্দের স্বাদ নিতে দিন
তাদের কবিতা খেতে দিন
এবং এটি মাটিতে ফিরিয়ে দিন
যাতে পৃথিবী আমাদের কথার ওজন অনুভব করতে পারে
এবং আমাদের ভুলে যেও না
যখন আমরা নিজেদের বিলুপ্ত করি
যেমন আমাদের সামনের প্রজাতি

শেষ কথাটি লিখুন
মোর্স কোডে
আমার মেরুদণ্ডের গোড়ায়
যাতে আমি শব্দের ছন্দ শুনতে পারি
আমি যখন ঘুমাই তখন আমার পোঁদে
.--. --- . - .-. -.--

বিন্দু এবং দাগ ছড়িয়ে দিন
বোঝার ভাইরাসে আমার সমস্ত হাড় জুড়ে
সুতরাং আমি যদি আমার কণ্ঠস্বর হারিয়ে ফেলি
আমি এখনও একটি শব্দ বলতে পারি
আমার আঙ্গুলগুলি ট্যাপ করে,
একটি ড্রাম বাজানো
অথবা আমার হৃদস্পন্দনের ছন্দ পরিবর্তন করা
আমার রক্ত দিয়ে কথা বলা

কল্পনা করুন

ছয় হাজার ভাষা
আমার মেরুদণ্ড খেলছে
৩৩-পর্বের সম্প্রীতিতে
আমার একটি সিম্ফনি তৈরি করা
একটি সুর যা প্রতিধ্বনিত হয়
আমার মেরুদণ্ডের উপরে
সুড়ঙ্গে আরও জোরে এবং জোরে প্রতিধ্বনিত হচ্ছে
যৌগিক সঙ্গীতকে প্রসারিত করা
আমার মস্তিষ্কের গোড়ায় সমস্ত পথ
যেখানে এটি বিস্ফোরিত হয়

এবং আমার মাথার খুলির ভিতরে প্রতিধ্বনিত হয়

ছয় হাজার নতুন অভিব্যক্তি

একই শব্দের জন্য
ছয় বিলিয়ন গায়কের কণ্ঠে
আমার ছয় ট্রিলিয়ন চিন্তার মধ্যে
যতক্ষণ না আমি আর বিশৃঙ্খলা সহ্য করতে পারি না
এবং তাদের গান আমার ঠোঁট থেকে বিস্ফোরিত হয়

বিশ্বকে অফার করা
সিঙ্ক্রোনাইজড বোঝার একটি মুহূর্ত
একটি গান
এক কন্ঠ
একজন মানুষ
এক মুহূর্তের জন্য
পৃথিবী চোখের পলক ফেলার আগে
ফোকাস হারায়
এবং প্রতিধ্বনি শোনে
ধীরে ধীরে ম্লান হয়ে যায়
কিন্তু মনে আছে 
আওয়াজ 

আমাদের কবিতা

"Merudander Bhasha"

By Christopher Fox Graham

amake ekti tattoo dao
toker cheyeo gabhir
amar merudander hader upper
protiti kasherukar prishthe
protiti manusher vashay
tattoo tader sobder jonno
'kabita'
jate kono vasha ar bideshi mane na hoy;
jate protiti manusher kanthaswar
amar modhye ekti shobdo bolte pare

arbi ebong hebrew
pathar nikshep na kare pashapashi basun
cantonese ebong hindi okkhorguli chede din
swahili ebong hutuke hamke dhore rakhte hat sanyukt karun
bask ebong juluke abosheshe thont sparsh karte din vietnami
jakhan navajo malayer kandhe matha rakhe

amra chhay hajar bhashay katha boli
kintu ami byatha ebong somoy sahya karab
sutaran kono manusher kontho amar sathe katha bolte pare na
anubhav na kare
hader niche

african okkhorguli likhun
europe uccharoner sathe sthan bhaag karun,
asian murphim,
ebong adivasi uccharon,

tader sariboddho karun ebong tader khodai karun
yeman brailey lekha ekti jaib barcode
krimi dwara pathyogya ya ekdin amake abar rupantarit karbe
dhulo o chair dharm
ya amra examoy biswas korechilam
mans ebong rokter ei sampradayer aage
kadamati theke amader ber kare enechi
brishtite sankhipto charitre abhinay kara

taderke amader sobder swad nite din
tader kobita khete din
ebong eti matite fire din
jate prithibi amader kathar ojon anubhav karate pare
ebong amader bhule jeo na
jakhan amra nijeder bilupto kori
yeman amader samner prajati

sesh kathati likhun
morse code
amar merudander goday
jate ami sobder chhondo shunte pari
ami jakhan ghumai takhan amar ponde
.--. --- . - .-. -.--
bindu ebong daag chadi din
bojhar viruse amar samast had jude
sutaran ami yadi amar kanthaswar hariye feli
ami ekhono ekti shobdo balte pari
amar angulguli tap kare,
ekti drum bajano
athaba amar hridaspandaner chhondo poriborton kora
amar rakta diye katha bala

kalpana karun

chhay hajar bhasha
amar merudanda khelche
e-porber sampritite
amar ekti symphony tairi kara
ekti sur ya pratidhwanito hoy
amar merudander upare
sudange aaro jore ebong jore pratidhwanito hachchhe
yogic sangitke prasarit kara
amar mostishker goday samast path
jekhane at bisforito hoy
ebong amar mathar khulir bhitare pratidhwanito hoy
chhay hajar natun abhibyakti
eki sobder jonno
chhoy billion gayker kanthe
amar chay trillion chintar modhye
yatakshan na ami ar bishrinkhala sahya karate pari na
ebong tader gaan amar thot theke bisforito hoy

biswake offer kara
synchronized bojhar ekti muhurt
ekti gaan
ek kantha
ekjon manush
ek muhurter jonno

prithibi chokher palak feller aage
focus haray
ebong pratidhwani shone
dhire dhire mlan hoye yay

kintu mone ache
awaz
amader kabita

"Мова Хребта" by Christopher Fox Graham

Потьомкінські сходи в Одесі, Україна

"Мова Хребта" 

by Christopher Fox Graham

Зробіть мені татуювання

глибше, ніж шкіра

на кістках мого хребта

на поверхню кожного хребця

на кожній людській мові

татуювання свого слова для 

"Поезія"

щоб жодна мова більше не відчувала себе іноземною;

щоб кожен людський голос

може сказати слово в мені

нехай арабська та іврит

сидіти поруч, не кидаючи каміння,

нехай кантонські та хінді символи

зв'язати руки, щоб тримати суахілі і хуту в гамаку

нехай баски і зулу нарешті торкнуться губ в'єтнамців

в той час як Навахо спирається головою на плече малайця

Ми говоримо шістьма тисячами мов

Але я перетерплю біль і час

Отже, жоден людський голос не може говорити зі мною

не відчуваючись

аж до кісток,

нехай африканські склади

розділити простір з європейськими артикуляціями,

азіатські морфеми,

і вимова аборигенів,

Вирівняйте їх і вигравіруйте

як органічний штрих-код, написаний шрифтом Брайля

читається хробаками, які одного разу навернуть мене назад

до релігії пилу і попелу

в що ми колись вірили

До цього культ плоті і крові

вивели нас з глини

грати коротких персонажів під дощем

Нехай вони відчують смак наших слів

Нехай споживають поезію

і віддати його назад в грунт

Так земля може відчути вагу наших слів

І не забувайте про нас

коли ми вимираємо самі

як види до нас

Вирізати останнє слово

азбукою Морзе

біля основи мого хребта

щоб я міг почути ритм слова

в стегнах, коли я сплю

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

Нехай крапки і тире розтікаються,

по всіх моїх кістках у вірусі розуміння

Отже, якщо я втрачу голос

Я все ще можу сказати слово

постукуючи пальцями,

стукання барабана,

або зміна ритму серцебиття

говорити моєю кров'ю

уявляти

шість тисяч мов

Гра в хребет

У 33-частинній гармонії

Створення симфонії про мене

з мелодією, яка відбивається

вгору по спинному мозку

все голосніше і голосніше лунає в тунелі

посилення складної музики

аж до основи мого мозку

де детонує

і резонує всередині мого черепа

рикошетинг

шість тисяч нових виразів

за одне і те ж слово

з голосами шести мільярдів співаків

в мої шість трильйонів думок

поки я більше не зможу прийняти хаос

І їхня пісня вибухає з моїх вуст

Пропонуючи світові

Момент синхронного розуміння

однієї пісні

в один голос

однієї людини

на одну мить

Перш ніж світ блимне

втрачає фокус,

і слухає відлуння

повільно згасають,

але пам'ятає 

Звук 

нашої поезії

"Mova Khrebta"

by Christopher Fox Graham

zrobit meni tatuyuvannya

gliebsche, nizh schkira

nah kistkach mogo khrebta

nah poverkhnyu kozhnogo khrebtsya

nah kozhniy ludski movy

tatuyuvannya svogo slova dlia

"poesia"

schob zodna mova bilse ne vidcuvala sebe inosemic;

schob kozhen ludski golos

mozhe skazati slovo vie meni

nechai arabic tha ivrit

siditi poruch, ne kidayuchi kaminnya,

nechai cantonese tha khindi symbol

zv'yazati ruki, schob trimati suakhili i khutu vie gamaku

nechai baski i zoulou naresti torknutsya goob vie'ethnamtsiv

vie toy chas iak navajo spirayetsya golovoyu nah plece malaytsia

mee govorimo shistma tisyachami mov

ale yo pereterplu biel i chas

otze, zhoden ludski golos ne mozhe govoriti zee mnoyu

ne vidcuvaiucis

age do kistok,

nechai africanism skladi

rozdiliti prostyre z evropeysky articulation,

asiaticus morphemi,

i vimova aborigeniv,

virivnaite ikh i vigraviruite

iak organic strich-code, napisany shriftom brile

chitayetsa khrobakami, yaki odnogo razo navernut mene nazad

do religia pilou i popelo

vie shcho mee kolis virili

do tsiogo kult ploti i krovi

vivelli nas z glini

grati korotkikh personage peed doshchem

nechai voni vidchuyut smak nashikh sliv

nechai spozhivayut poesiu

i viddati yogo nazad vie grunt

tak zemlya mozhe vidchuti vago nashikh sliv

i ne zabuvaite pro nas

colli mee vimirayemo sami

iak vidi do nas

virisati ostanne slovo

azbukoiu morse

bilya osnovi mogo khrebta

schob yo mig pochuti rhythm slova

vie stegnach, colli yo splyu

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

nechai krapki i tire roztikayutsya,

po vsikh moich kistkach ou virus rozuminnya

otze, yakshcho yo vtrachu golos

yo vse shche mozhu skazati slovo

postucuyuchi paltsyami,

stucande barabana,

abo zmina ritmu sertsebittya

govoriti moyeyu krov'yu

uyavlyati

shist tisiach mov

gra vie khrebet

ou 33-chastinny garmonia

stvorennya symphony pro mene

z melodieu, yaka vidbivayetsya

vgoru po spinnomo mozku

vse golosnisheh i golosnisheh lunaie vie tuneli

posilenia skladnoy music

age do osnovi mogo mozku

day detonue

i rezonouey vseredini mogo cherepa

ricoscheting

shist tisiach novikh viraziv

za audney i te zh slovo

z golosami sesti millardiv spivakiv

vie moi shist trilloniv dumok

pokey yo bilse ne zmozu priynaty khaos

i ikhnia pisnya vibukhayeh z moich voust

proponuuch svitovy

moment synchronic rozuminnya

odniei pisney

vie odin golos

odniei ludiny

nah odnu mit

persh nizh sveat blimne

vtrachaye focus,

i slukhayeh vidlunnya

povilno zgasayut,

ale pam'yataye

zvuk

nashoi poesia

"Ngôn Ngữ Cột Sống" by Christopher Fox Graham

Mặt trời chiếu lên ruộng bậc thang của những cánh đồng lúa ở phía tây bắc Việt Nam.

"Ngôn Ngữ Cột Sống" 

by Christopher Fox Graham

cho tôi một hình xăm

sâu hơn da

trên xương cột sống của tôi

lên bề mặt của mọi đốt sống

trong mỗi ngôn ngữ của con người

Hình xăm từ của họ cho 

"Thơ"

để không có ngôn ngữ nào cảm thấy xa lạ nữa;

để mỗi tiếng nói của con người

có thể nói một lời trong tôi

hãy để tiếng Ả Rập và tiếng Do Thái

Ngồi cạnh nhau mà không ném đá

cho phép các ký tự tiếng Quảng Đông và tiếng Hindi

chắp tay ôm Swahili và Hutu trên võng

để tiếng Basque và Zulu cuối cùng chạm môi người Việt

trong khi Navajo tựa đầu vào vai người Mã Lai

Chúng ta nói sáu ngàn tiếng lạ

Nhưng tôi sẽ chịu đựng nỗi đau và thời gian

Vì vậy, không có giọng nói của con người có thể nói chuyện với tôi

mà không được cảm nhận

xuống xương

hãy để âm tiết châu Phi

chia sẻ không gian với các khớp nối châu Âu,

Hình thái châu Á,

và cách phát âm của thổ dân,

xếp chúng lại và khắc chúng

như mã vạch hữu cơ được viết bằng chữ nổi Braille

Có thể đọc được bởi những con sâu mà một ngày nào đó sẽ chuyển đổi tôi trở lại

đến tôn giáo của bụi và tro

mà chúng tôi đã từng tin tưởng

trước sự sùng bái máu thịt này

đưa chúng tôi ra khỏi đất sét

để đóng các nhân vật ngắn trong mưa

Hãy để họ nếm thử hương vị của lời nói của chúng tôi

Hãy để họ tiêu thụ thơ

và đưa nó trở lại đất

để trái đất có thể cảm nhận được sức nặng của lời nói của chúng ta

và đừng quên chúng tôi

Khi chúng ta tuyệt chủng chính mình

Giống như các loài trước chúng ta

Khắc từ cuối cùng

Trong mã Morse

ở đáy cột sống của tôi

để tôi có thể nghe thấy nhịp điệu của từ

ở hông khi tôi ngủ

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

Hãy để các dấu chấm và dấu gạch ngang lan rộng

trên tất cả các xương của tôi trong một virus của sự hiểu biết

Vì vậy, nếu tôi bị mất giọng

Tôi vẫn có thể nói một từ

bằng cách gõ ngón tay của tôi,

đập trống

hoặc thay đổi nhịp tim của tôi

để nói chuyện với máu của tôi

tưởng tượng

sáu ngàn lưỡi

Chơi cột sống của tôi

trong 33 phần hài hòa

Làm một bản giao hưởng của tôi

với giai điệu vang dội

lên tủy sống của tôi

vang vọng ngày càng to trong đường hầm

khuếch đại âm nhạc ghép

tất cả các cách để nền tảng của bộ não của tôi

nơi nó phát nổ

và cộng hưởng bên trong hộp sọ của tôi

Ricocheting

Sáu ngàn biểu thức mới

cho cùng một từ

với giọng hát của sáu tỷ ca sĩ

vào sáu nghìn tỷ suy nghĩ của tôi

cho đến khi tôi không còn hỗn loạn nữa

Và bài hát của họ bùng nổ từ đôi môi của tôi

Cung cấp cho thế giới

Một khoảnh khắc của sự hiểu biết đồng bộ

của một bài hát

của một giọng nói

của một người đàn ông

trong một khoảnh khắc

Trước khi thế giới chớp mắt

mất tập trung

và lắng nghe tiếng vang

từ từ biến mất

Nhưng nhớ 

Âm thanh 

của thơ chúng ta

Sông Ngô Đồng và cánh đồng lúa ở Ninh Bình

"שפת עמוד השדרה" By Christopher Fox Graham

הרובע היהודי בירושלים

"שפת עמוד השדרה"

By Christopher Fox Graham

תן לי קעקוע

עמוק יותר מהעור

על עצמות עמוד השדרה שלי

על פני כל חוליה

בכל לשון אדם

קעקוע המילה שלהם עבור "שירה"

כדי שאף שפה לא תרגיש זרה יותר;

כך שכל קול אנושי

יכול לדבר בי מילה

לט ערבית ועברית

לשבת זה לצד זה בלי לזרוק אבנים

תן תווים קנטונזיים והינדיים

קשרו ידיים כדי להחזיק סווהילית והוטו בערסל

תנו לבסקית ולזולו לגעת סוף סוף בשפתיים וייטנאמית

בעוד נאוואחו מניח את ראשו על כתפו של מאלאי

אנחנו מדברים ששת אלפים לשונות

אבל אני אסבול את הכאב ואת הזמן

אז שום קול אנושי לא יכול לדבר איתי

בלי להיות מורגש

עד העצם

תן להברות אפריקאיות

לחלוק מרחב עם ביטויים אירופיים,

מורפמות אסיאתיות,

והגייה אבוריג'ינית,

העמידו אותם בשורה וחרטו אותם

כמו ברקוד אורגני שכתוב בכתב ברייל

קריא על ידי התולעים שיום אחד ימירו אותי בחזרה

לדת העפר והאפר

שפעם האמנו בו

לפני פולחן בשר ודם זה

הוציא אותנו מהחימר

כדי לשחק דמויות קצרות בגשם

תנו להם לטעום את טעם המילים שלנו

תנו להם לצרוך שירה

ולהחזיר אותו לאדמה

כדי שכדור הארץ יוכל להרגיש את משקל המילים שלנו

ולא לשכוח אותנו

כשאנחנו נכחדים

כמו המינים שלפנינו

לגלף את המילה האחרונה

בקוד מורס

בבסיס עמוד השדרה שלי

כדי שאוכל לשמוע את קצב המילה

בירכיים כשאני ישן

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

תן לנקודות ולמקפים להתפשט

על כל עצמותיי בווירוס של הבנה

אז אם אני מאבד את הקול שלי

אני עדיין יכול לומר מילה

על ידי הקשה על אצבעותיי,

דופק בתוף

או שינוי קצב פעימות הלב שלי

לדבר עם הדם שלי

דמיין

ששת אלפים לשונות

משחק בעמוד השדרה שלי

בהרמוניה של 33 חלקים

לעשות סימפוניה ממני

עם מנגינה שמהדהדת

במעלה חוט השדרה שלי

מהדהדים חזק יותר ויותר במנהרה

הגברת המוזיקה המורכבת

כל הדרך לבסיס המוח שלי

היכן הוא מתפוצץ

ומהדהד בתוך הגולגולת שלי

ריקושט

ששת אלפים ביטויים חדשים

עבור אותה מילה

בקולותיהם של שישה מיליארד זמרים

לתוך ששת טריליון המחשבות שלי

עד שלא אוכל לשאת יותר תוהו ובוהו

והשיר שלהם מתפוצץ לי מהשפתיים

להציע לעולם

רגע של הבנה מסונכרנת

של שיר אחד

של קול אחד

של איש אחד

לרגע אחד

לפני שהעולם ממצמץ

מאבד ריכוז

ומקשיב להד

לאט לאט להתפוגג

אבל זוכר 

הצליל 

של השירה שלנו

tan lea kaqua

amuk extra moor

al asted amud hashdra shley

al fnea kul hulia

bal leson huamn

kaqua hamila shlahm hbor "shira"

order shaf shfe lo targish zra extra;

sic sense kol human

yakul ladber bi mila

let arabic hawarit

leshavah ze lizd ze bli lazrok avanim

tan twaim cantonseim windae

kashro game order lahazik suweilit vehoto barsel

tnu lebskit valzolo lagat suf suf bashaftaim vietnamese

baud navakho maniah at rasho al ketfu sal malay

anahno medverian sest alpim lashonot

ebl ani asbol at hachav wath hazman

az shum kol human lo yakul ladber ethi

bli geta moregas

ad hatzem

tan lahbras epricare

lahlock merkhav am bitoghy europians,

morphemose esiathic,

waghaia eborig'yanit,

hamido otham four vecharto otham

kamo barkod organic shechtov bechtev braille

cria al yedi hatolaim shiva ekhad yemiro shoot bahazra

ledat haper wahafer

shapaim hamno bo

lipni films bsar vedem ze

hutzia othno mahahimar

order leshak daming ktzarot bagsham

tnu lahm latkum at taste hamilim shalno

tnu lahm latzrok shira

welhahzir otho ladma

order shakhdor haarets mesian lahargish at miskel hamilim shalno

vala lochus othno

casanaheno nachadim

kamo haminim shalpanino

lagelf at hamila achrona

bacoud morse

babasis amud hashdra shley

order seokel leshmua at kacav hamila

birchaim kashani yeshen

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

tan lancudut wellmacpim lahtefsht

al kul emotei beviros sal havana

az im ani maabed at vocal shley

ani adin yakul lomer mila

al yedi hakasha al atsevaathi,

dupek betof

oh change kacav postees helb shley

ladber am hadam shley

dmein

sest alpim lashonot

mishak buamud hashdra shley

bharmony sal 33 halkim

unses symphoni mamni

am meneghina shemadahdat

bemala cord hashdra shley

mehadim hazak extra voter bemnara

hagavart hemusica anciduenta

kul hedrach lebsis afet shley

hichan hoa matfotz

wmahdad batuk golgolat shley

ricost

sest alpim bitoghy hadashim

hbor otha mila

bakulothiam sal shisha milliard zomerians

latuk sest trillion instality shley

ad shla soul lachat extra toho veboho

washir shlahm matfotz lea mahspations

lacy lawlam

raga sal havana mesvnkern

sal shir ekhad

sal kol ekhad

sal ish ekhad

larga ekhad

lipni sholem mematz

maabed richose

wamksiv lahad

lat lat latfogg

ebl zuchar

hatzlil

sal hashira shalno

"Lenguaje Espinal" by Christopher Fox Graham

Madrid

"Lenguaje Espinal" 

by Christopher Fox Graham

Dame un tatuaje

más profundo que la piel

en los huesos de mi columna vertebral

en la superficie de cada vértebra

en cada lengua humana

tatuar su palabra para "poesía"

para que ningún idioma se sienta más extraño;

para que cada voz humana

puede decir una palabra en mí

que el árabe y el hebreo

Siéntate uno al lado del otro sin tirar piedras

dejar que los caracteres cantoneses e hindi

unir las manos para sostener swahili y hutu en una hamaca

dejar que vascos y zulúes finalmente toquen los labios vietnamitas

mientras que Navajo descansa su cabeza en el hombro de Malay

Hablamos seis mil lenguas

Pero soportaré el dolor y el tiempo

Así que ninguna voz humana puede hablarme

sin ser sentido

hasta el hueso

dejar sílabas africanas

compartir espacio con articulaciones europeas,

Morfemas asiáticos,

y pronunciaciones aborígenes,

Alinearlos y grabarlos

como un código de barras orgánico escrito en Braille

legible por los gusanos que un día me convertirán de nuevo

a la religión del polvo y la ceniza

en el que creímos una vez

Antes de este culto de carne y hueso

nos sacó de la arcilla

para interpretar personajes breves bajo la lluvia

Que prueben el sabor de nuestras palabras

Que consuman poesía

y devolverlo al suelo

para que la tierra pueda sentir el peso de nuestras palabras

y no nos olvides

Cuando nos extinguimos

como las especies anteriores a nosotros

Tallar la última palabra

En código Morse

en la base de mi columna vertebral

para que pueda escuchar el ritmo de la palabra

en mis caderas cuando duermo

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

Deja que los puntos y los guiones se extiendan

a través de todos mis huesos en un virus de comprensión

Así que si pierdo mi voz

Todavía puedo decir una palabra

tocando mis dedos,

golpeando un tambor

o cambiar el ritmo de los latidos de mi corazón

para hablar con mi sangre

imaginar

Seis mil lenguas

tocando mi columna vertebral

en armonía de 33 partes

Haciendo una sinfonía de mí

con una melodía que reverbera

subir mi médula espinal

Resonando cada vez más fuerte en el túnel

Amplificar la música compuesta

todo el camino hasta la base de mi cerebro

donde detona

y resuena dentro de mi cráneo

rebotando

Seis mil nuevas expresiones

para la misma palabra

con las voces de seis mil millones de cantantes

en mis seis billones de pensamientos

hasta que no pueda soportar más caos

y su canción explota de mis labios

Ofreciendo el mundo

Un momento de comprensión sincronizada

de una canción

de una sola voz

de un hombre

por un instante

Antes de que el mundo parpadee

pierde el enfoque

y escucha el eco

desvanecerse lentamente

pero recuerda 

el sonido 

de nuestra poesía

"Νωτιαία Γλώσσα" by Chrisopher Fox Graham

Η 24η Ιουλίου 1974 σηματοδότησε την αποκατάσταση της δημοκρατίας στην Ελλάδα μετά από επτά χρόνια στρατιωτικής δικτατορίας. Το πραξικόπημα του 1967 είχε ως αποτέλεσμα μια μακρά περίοδο φόβου, διώξεων, καταπάτησης προσωπικών και πολιτικών δικαιωμάτων, δυσπιστίας και αστάθειας. Κάθε χρόνο, η ημέρα της Αποκατάστασης της Δημοκρατίας γιορτάζεται με δεξίωση που πραγματοποιείται στο Προεδρικό Μέγαρο στην Αθήνα.

"Νωτιαία Γλώσσα"

by Chrisopher Fox Graham

δώσε μου ένα τατουάζ

βαθύτερο από το δέρμα

στα οστά της σπονδυλικής μου στήλης

στην επιφάνεια κάθε σπονδύλου

σε κάθε ανθρώπινη γλώσσα

τατουάζ λέξη τους για 

"Ποίηση"

έτσι ώστε καμία γλώσσα να μην αισθάνεται ξένη πια.

έτσι ώστε κάθε ανθρώπινη φωνή

μπορεί να πει μια λέξη μέσα μου

ας Αραβικά και Εβραϊκά

Καθίστε δίπλα-δίπλα χωρίς να πετάξετε πέτρες

αφήστε τους καντονέζικους και χίντι χαρακτήρες

ενώνουν τα χέρια για να κρατήσουν τα σουαχίλι και τους χούτου σε μια αιώρα

αφήστε τους Βάσκους και τους Ζουλού να αγγίξουν τελικά τα χείλη του Βιετνάμ

ενώ ο Ναβάχο ακουμπά το κεφάλι του στον ώμο της Μαλαισίας

Μιλάμε έξι χιλιάδες γλώσσες

Αλλά θα υπομείνω τον πόνο και το χρόνο

Έτσι καμία ανθρώπινη φωνή δεν μπορεί να μου μιλήσει

χωρίς να γίνεται αισθητός

μέχρι το κόκκαλο

αφήστε τις αφρικανικές συλλαβές

να μοιράζονται χώρο με τις ευρωπαϊκές αρθρώσεις,

Ασιατικά μορφήματα,

και προφορές των Αβορίγινων,

Ευθυγραμμίστε τα και χαράξτε τα

σαν οργανικός γραμμωτός κώδικας γραμμένος σε γραφή Braille

αναγνώσιμο από τα σκουλήκια που μια μέρα θα με μετατρέψουν πίσω

στη θρησκεία της σκόνης και της στάχτης

που πιστέψαμε κάποτε

Πριν από αυτή τη λατρεία της σάρκας και του αίματος

μας έβγαλε από πηλό

για να παίξετε σύντομους χαρακτήρες στη βροχή

Ας γευτούν τη γεύση των λέξεων μας

Αφήστε τους να καταναλώσουν ποίηση

και δώστε το πίσω στο έδαφος

Έτσι η γη μπορεί να αισθανθεί το βάρος των λόγων μας

και να μην μας ξεχνάμε

όταν εξαφανιζόμαστε

όπως τα είδη πριν από εμάς

Χαράξτε την τελευταία λέξη

Σε κώδικα Μορς

στη βάση της σπονδυλικής μου στήλης

για να ακούσω το ρυθμό της λέξης

στους γοφούς μου όταν κοιμάμαι

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

Αφήστε τις κουκκίδες και τις παύλες να εξαπλωθούν

σε όλα τα οστά μου σε έναν ιό κατανόησης

Έτσι, αν χάσω τη φωνή μου

Μπορώ ακόμα να πω μια λέξη

χτυπώντας τα δάχτυλά μου,

χτυπώντας ένα τύμπανο

ή αλλάζοντας το ρυθμό του καρδιακού παλμού μου

να μιλήσω με το αίμα μου

φαντάζομαι

έξι χιλιάδες γλώσσες

Παίζοντας τη σπονδυλική μου στήλη

σε αρμονία 33 μερών

Κάνοντας μια συμφωνία μου

με μια μελωδία που αντηχεί

μέχρι το νωτιαίο μυελό μου

αντηχώντας όλο και πιο δυνατά στη σήραγγα

ενίσχυση της σύνθετης μουσικής

μέχρι τη βάση του εγκεφάλου μου

όπου εκρήγνυται

και αντηχεί μέσα στο κρανίο μου

εξοστρακισμός

Έξι χιλιάδες νέες εκφράσεις

για την ίδια λέξη

με τις φωνές έξι δισεκατομμυρίων τραγουδιστών

στις έξι τρισεκατομμύρια σκέψεις μου

μέχρι να μπορέσω να μην αντέξω άλλο χάος

και το τραγούδι τους εκρήγνυται από τα χείλη μου

προσφέροντας τον κόσμο

Μια στιγμή συγχρονισμένης κατανόησης

ενός τραγουδιού

μιας φωνής

ενός ανθρώπου

για μια στιγμή

πριν ο κόσμος αναβοσβήνει

χάνει την εστίαση

και ακούει την ηχώ

σιγά-σιγά ξεθωριάζουν

αλλά θυμάται 

Ο ήχος 

της ποίησής μας

"Notiaia Glossa"

by Chrisopher Fox Graham

dose mia ein tattoos

bathyter apo to derma

stou osta ths spondylic mia steles

sten epiphania kathe spondylou

so kathe anthropine glossa

tattoos lexi these gia

"poesy"

etsi aste kamia glossa nha mhn esthanetai xeni pia.

etsi aste kathe anthropine phoni

mporei nha pei mia lexi mesha mia

as arabic kai evraika

kathiste dipla-dipla choris nha petaxete petres

afiste these cantonese kai kindi charachters

enonoun ta car gia nha kratisoun ta swachili kai these khutu so mia aiora

afiste these basques kai these zulu nha agixun telika ta cail the bietnam

uno aux navajo akoumpa to kefali the ston omo ths malaysias

milame exi kilos glosses

allow t ypomeino ton pain kai to chrono

etsi kamia anthropine phoni den mporei nha mia milisei

choris nha ginete aesthetus

mechri to kokkalo

afiste these african syllaves

nha moirazontai car me these europes arthroseis,

asiatic morphemes,

kai prophoration than aboriginal,

euthygrammine ta kai charaxte ta

shan organic grammotos codex gramenos so grafi Braille

anagnosimos apo ta skoulikia pou mia mera t me metatrepsun piso

sti threskeia ths skonis kai ths stachtis

pou pistepsame capote

prima apo ayti the latria ths sarkas kai the aematus

mas evgale apo pilo

gia nha paixete syntomous charachters sti broche

as geutoun the geusi than lexeon mas

afiste these nha katanalosoun poesy

kai doste to piso sto edafos

etsi iii gi mporei nha aisthanthei to baros than logon mas

kai nha mhn mas xechname

otan exaphane

opos ta eidh prima apo emas

charaxte then teleytaia lexi

so codice morse

sti bazi ths spondylic mia steles

gia nha akouso to rythm ths lexis

stous gofous mia otan kimamai

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

afiste these koukkides kai these paules nha expand

so all ta osta mia so enan io katanoisis

etsi, anne khaso the phoni mia

mporo akoma nha pau mia lexi

chtypontas ta dachtyla mia,

chtypontas ein tympanum

a allazontas to rythm the cardiac palmou mia

nha miliso me to aima mia

fantazomai

exi kilos glosses

paizontas the spondylic mia stele

so armonia 33 meron

canonds mia symphony mia

me mia melody pou antekhei

mechri to notiaio myelo mia

antichontas whole kai pio dynata sti siragga

enischysi ths synthetic mousikis

mechri the bazi the egkefalou mia

opou ekrignytai

kai antekhei mesha sto kranio mia

exostracism

exi kilos news expression

gia then idia lexi

me these fones exi disecatomuria tragoudia

sites exi trisecatommyria skepseis mia

mechri nha mporeso nha mhn antexo allo kaos

kai to tragoudi these ekrignytai apo ta cail mia

prosferontas ton kosmo

mia stigmi sygchronismenis katanoisis

enos tragoudiou

mias fonis

enos anthropou

gia mia stigmi

prima aux kosmos anavosvinei

can then estiasis

kai akouei then eco

siga-siga xethoriazoun

allow thimatai

aux echos

ths poesis mas

د "پښتو ژبې" by Christopher Fox Graham

د "پښتو ژبې"

by Christopher Fox Graham

ما ته یو ټټو راکړئ

د پوستکی څخه ژور

زما د پښو په سرونو کې

د هر چمن په سطحه

د هر انسان په ژبه

د دوی د کلمې لپاره ټایټ 

د "پښتو شعر"

د دې لپاره چې هیڅ ژبه نور بهرنی احساس ونه کړی؛

چې د هر انسان په زړه کې

په ما کې یو څه خبرې کولی شی

د عربی او عبرانیانو لپاره

پرته له دې چې د ډبرو سکرو سره څنګ په څنګ شئ

د کینټن او هندی کرکټرونو ته اجازه ورکړئ

په یوه هوټل کې د هاموک او سواحلو ساتلو لپاره لاسونه وصل کړئ

اجازه ورکړئ باسکی او زولو په پای کې د ویتنامی شونډو لمس کړی

کله چې ناوالنی خپل سر د مالا په اوږه باندې ارام کوی

موږ په ۶۰ ژبو خبرې کوو

خو د وخت او د دردونو په وخت کې

نو هیڅ انسان نشی کولی ما سره خبرې وکړی

بې احساسه

تر هډوکو پورې

د افریقی سیلیبلونو لپاره

د اروپایی اتحادیې سره د ځای شریکول ،

د اسیا مورفیمونه ،

او د انګریزانو خبرې،

د دوی سره یوځای شئ او دوی ته یې و انوئ

لکه څنګه چې په بریل کې لیکل شوی عضوی بارکوډ

د هغو چینجیو لخوا لوستل کیږی چې یوه ورځ به ما بیرته بدل کړی

د خاورې او خاورې د دین په اړه

چې موږ په یو وخت باور

د دې د وینې او وینې د وینې د

موږ له کوره ووته

په باران کې د لوبو لپاره د لنډ وخت لپاره

زموږ د کلی د ونو د ونو په سرونو

پریږده چې شاعری وکړی

او بیا یې په ځمکه کې واخلئ

د ځمکې د اسمان کولای شی زموږ د کلمو د وزن احساس

او موږ له پامه مه غورځوئ

کله چې موږ خپل ځان له مینځه یوسو

زموږ په وړاندې د ډولونو په څیر

وروستۍ کلمه را اخیستل

په مورس کوډ کې

زما د زلفو په سر کې

چې مې د زړه په غوږو کې د اغېز غږ شی

کله چې زه په بستر کې یم

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

پرېږدئ چې ټکی او ډشونه پراخه شی

زما په زړه کې د هر چا د زړه په سترګو کې

که مې خپل غږ له لاسه ورکړ

زه لاهم کولی شم یوه کلمه ووایم

زما د ګوتو په وهلو سره ،

درم

یا زما د زړه د زړه د ریتم بدلول

زما د وینې سره خبرې کول

تصورول

شپږ زره ژبې

زما د نخاع سره لوبې کول

په 33 برخه هارمونی

په ما باندې یو هجوم جوړ کړئ

چې د زړه په سر یې راورنګیږی

زما د نخاعی نخاعی ته پورته کړئ

په تونل کې د لوړ او لوړ غږ غږ

د ترکیبی موسیقی د جوړولو لپاره

زما د مغزو د ټولو لارو ته

چیرې چې دا انفجار کوی

او زما د زړه په دننه کې د

ریکوچټ

۶۰ نوی لغتونه

د ورته کلمې لپاره

د شپږ میلیارده سندرغاړو غږونه

زما د شپږ ټریلیون فکرونو په اړه

تر هغه چې زه نور ګډوډی نشم کولی

او زما له شونډو څخه د هغوی اوازونه پورته کیږی

دنیا ته وړاندې کول

د تفاهم د نه شتون یوه لحظه

یوه سندره

په یوه اواز

یو سړی

د یوې شیبه لپاره

تا چې دنیا په تا باندې ولوېږی

تمرکز له لاسه ورکوی

او د اکو په اړه خبرې وکړئ

ورو ورو له منځه ځی

خو په یاد دی 

غږ 

زموږ د شعر په اړه

"Mæna Tungumál" by Christopher Fox Graham

"Mæna Tungumál"

by Christopher Fox Graham

gefðu mér húðflúr

dýpra en húðin

á hryggbeinunum

á yfirborði allra hryggjarliða

á hverri tungu manna

húðflúr orð þeirra fyrir "ljóð"

þannig að ekkert tungumál finnst framandi lengur;

þannig að hver mannsrödd

getur sagt orð í mér

láta arabísku og hebresku

sitja hlið við hlið án þess að kasta steinum

láta kantónska og hindí stafi

tengja hendur til að halda Swahili og Hutu í hengirúmi

láta Baska og Zulu loksins snerta varir víetnamsku

á meðan Navajo hvílir höfuðið á öxl Malaja

við tölum sex þúsund tungum

En ég mun þola sársaukann og tímann

svo engin mannsrödd geti talað við mig

án þess að finnast

niður að beini

láta afrísk atkvæði

deila rými með evrópskum liðum,

Asískir morfemar,

og framburður frumbyggja,

raða þeim upp og grafa þá

eins og lífrænt strikamerki skrifað með blindraletri

læsileg af ormunum sem munu einn daginn umbreyta mér aftur

til trúarbragða ryks og ösku

sem við trúðum á einu sinni

fyrir þessari sértrúarsöfnuði holds og blóðs

leiddi okkur út úr leir

að leika stuttar persónur í rigningunni

leyfðu þeim að smakka bragðið af orðum okkar

leyfðu þeim að neyta ljóða

og skila því í jarðveginn

svo jörðin geti fundið þungann af orðum okkar

og ekki gleyma okkur

þegar við útsendum okkur sjálf

eins og tegundin á undan okkur

skera út síðasta orðið

í morskóða

neðst á hryggnum

svo að ég heyri taktinn í orðinu

í mjöðmunum þegar ég sef

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

láta punkta og strik breiðast út

í öllum beinum mínum í skilningsveiru

Svo ef ég missi röddina

Ég get enn sagt orð.

með því að banka í fingurna á mér,

að berja trommu

eða breyta taktinum í hjartslætti mínum

að tala við blóð mitt

Ímynda sér

sex þúsund tungur

að spila hrygginn minn

í 33 hluta samhljómi

að gera sinfóníu af mér

með laglínu sem endurómar

upp mænuna

bergmála hærra og hærra í göngunum

að magna upp samsetta tónlist

alla leið að heilabotninum á mér

þar sem það springur

og hljómar inni í höfuðkúpunni á mér

endurkast

sex þúsund ný orðatiltæki

fyrir sama orðið

með raddir sex milljarða söngvara

inn í sex trilljón hugsanir mínar

þar til ég þoli ekki meiri ringulreið

og söngur þeirra springur af vörum mínum

bjóða heiminum

augnablik samstillts skilnings

af einu lagi

einnar raddar

af einum manni

í eitt augnablik

áður en heimurinn blikkar

missir einbeitinguna

og hlustar á bergmálið

dofna hægt og rólega

en man 

hljóðið 

af ljóðum okkar