Sunday, May 27, 2007
(reading) from Breyten Breytenbach (as translated by Andre Brink) * :
PADMAPANI
Padmapani No your body is no prison your understanding has petals sweeter than moonlight your hair is a secret black wave a banner against the light two butterflies have settled on the twigs of your nose if only to upset my pen and each ear is a beach against the wash of tides your eyes are two shelters in the desert two tents with brilliant peacocks and my eyelashes lament on your shoulders your back is a glistening lance in water and soon after dusk your small dunes rose from my palms your heart moves with the quick soundlessness of chewing peanuts your hands are tom thumb and all his brownish friends where your thighs meet your belly struts a small proud plume o hail to the jewel in the lotus how sweet it must be to dive upwards into that nothingness no your body is no prison Padmapani
* The Poetry of Our World, ed. Jeffrey Paine (Perennial Books, 2000) 364-365.
|