November 2009
Circus by Tom Waits
We put up our tent on a dark green knoll, outside of town by the train tracks and there was a seagull dump Topping the bill was Horse Face Ethel and her Marvelous Pigs in satin We pounded our steaks in the ground all powder brown And the branches spread like scary fingers reaching We were in a pasture in Kankakee And one eyed Myra the queen of the galley who baby sat the camel and the ostrich She...
I forgot to live
By breaking in my hands with the guitars On violent scenes, Under odd lights By forcing the force with this effort to make my fingers move To make my body vibrate
By letting the sweat burn my eyes By shouting my love to the skies By throwing my heart in a microphone Carrying the projectors And like a cross in the back
I forgot to live, I forgot to live
By running the Earth like a flash Breaking...
J'ai Oublié de Vivre
À force de briser dans mes mains des guitares Sur des scènes violentes, Sous des lumières bizarres À force de forcer mÀ force à cet effort Pour faire bouger mes doigts Pour faire vibrer mon corps
À force de laisser la sueur brûler mes yeux À force de crier mon amour jusqu’au cieux À force de jeter mon cœur dans un micro Portant les projecteurs Et comme une croix dans le dos
J’ai...
“Work for free, or for a full price. Never for cheap!”
A Letter From A Stupid Woman / Nizar Qabbani
My dear Master, This is a letter from a stupid woman Has a stupid woman before me, written to you? My name? Lets put names aside Rania, or Zaynab or Hind or Hayfa The silliest thing we carry, my Master - are names My Master: I am frightened to tell you my thoughts I am frightened - if I did - that the heavens would burn For your East, my dear Master, confiscate blue letters confiscate dreams from...
رسالة من امرأة حمقاء / نزار قباني
يا سيدي العزيز هذا خطاب امرأة حمقاء هل كتبت إليك قبلي امرأة حمقاء؟ اسمي انا؟ دعنا من الأسماء رانية أم زينب أم هند أم هيفاء اسخف ما نحمله ـ يا سيدي ـ الأسماء يا سيدي أخاف أن أقول مالدي من أشياء أخاف ـ لو فعلت ـ أن تحترق السماء فشرقكم يا سيدي العزيز يصادر الرسائل الزرقاء يصادر الأحلام من خزائن النساء يستعمل السكين والساطور كي يخاطب النساء ويذبح الربيع والأشواق والضفائر السوداء و شرقكم يا سيدي العزيز...
“Without body, a soul’s nude, as a body’s nude without a shirt.”
– Arseny Tarkovsky
Mirror
Each moment of our dates, not many, we celebrated as an Epiphany. alone in the whole world. More daring and lighter than a bird, down the stairs, like a dizzy apparition, you came to take me on your road, through rain-soaked lilacs, to your own possession, to the looking glass world. As night descended, I was blessed with grace, the altar gate opened up, and in the darkness shining, and slowly...
William Blake / A letter to Thomas Butts (Aug,...
O why was I born with a different face? Why was I not born like the rest of my race? When I look, each one starts! when I speak, I offend; Then I am silent & passive & lose every Friend. Then my verse I dishonour, My pictures despise, My person degrade & my temper chastise; And the pen is my terror, the pencil my shame; All my talents I bury, and dead is my Fame. I am either too low or...
William Blake / To Tirzah
Whate’er is Born of Mortal birth Must be consumèd with the Earth, To rise from Generation free: Then what have I to do with thee? The Sexes sprung from Shame and Pride, Blow’d in the morn; in evening died; But Mercy changed Death into Sleep; The Sexes rose to work & weep. Thou, Mother of my Mortal part, With cruelty didst mould my Heart, And with false self-deceiving tears Didst...
