Session IV

Wednesday 23 October, 18:00 SAST
Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study
With Palestinian-American poets and performance artists George Abraham & Fargo Tbakhi
Hosted by Maneo Mohale

PALESTINE IS A FUTURISM: NEOLOGISM
Fargo Tbakhi

A DEAD COLONIZER IS WORTH A THOUSAND YEARS

IF YOU WANT TO BE BRUTAL CONSIDER YOUR HANDS

WITHIN MY POCKMARKS I FIND AN ELEVATOR TO SKY

DON’T LOOK FOR LOVERS (LET THEM LOOK FOR YOU)

THE SWEETNESS OF SPIDERS (YES)

NEVER A CAGED PERSON WITHIN OUR SIGHT!!!

ONTOLOGY < VIBES

ARMPITS> NATIONS

SOMEONE SLEEPS WITH SAND TONIGHT

LET’S HOPE THE SEA GETS HUNGRY

APOCALYPSE IS ONLY PERFUME FOR THE BANKERS

CRUELTY IS ONLY A SALTLESS MEAL

YOUR BEAUTY RUBBLE TURNS ME TO RUBBLE BEAUTY

LET’S HOPE THE SEA DEVOURS US
AND FEELS FULL

- - -

link to the poem at Bahr Magazine

PALESTINE IS A FUTURISM: PANDEMONIUM
George Abraham
With thanks to Fargo Tbakhi

MAY WAS IN FACT THE CRUELEST MONTH
UNTIL WE STOLE IT BACK. WE STOLE IT
BACK! KNOTTED OUR TIMELINE INTO تاء
مربوطة. FROM CHAOS & ETERNAL 
NIGHT, WE EMERGED. SPROUTED INTO
A SIMULTANEITY. PALESTINE AS CAUSALITY
BEYONDED. WE'VE LOST COUNTRIES, 
YES. AND WE'VE LOST LOSS BEYOND
MERE COUNTRY. IF, IN THAT FALL, WE CANNOT
BE PRAYER, THEN LET US BE
ITS OPPOSITE! LET US SING
WELCOME IN THIS SONG
UNLIT! WELCOME TO OUR LOST
BRETHREN, TO OUR COUSINS
WHO LEARNED TO CONQUER WIND
& WEIGHTLESSNESS! MAY EVERY
WINGED BEING, IN US,
FIND SHELTER: NOT IN LIGHT
THAT DIVINED OR FORCE THAT BLEW 
OUR NESTS FROM THEIR BRIEF  
CRADLES, BUT IN THE BRANCHES
UNSNAPPED. WE WHO’VE ENCIRCLED
OUR HOME’S REMAINS, DAYS LATER, WHOLE
BUT IN MOURNING. HAIL THE BODY'S HALF
REMEMBRANCE DESPITE! HAIL THE LIGHT,
OF US UNLIT, UNMOORED! 

BORN UNTO CHAOS,
TO CHAOS WE RETURN!
HAIL THE INTIFADA'S SPARK 
UNDYING! ITS UN-LIGHT SEEPING
FROM OUR CENTER! HAIL THE EMPIRE'S SUN
UN-SUNNING! OUR YOUTH 
UNLIT! OUR WAY UNLIT! THE HIJACK
OF OUR ENEMY’S SMALLEST
OFFICES! AGAINST THE LOWER CASE,
OUR LANGUAGE UNAFFORDING! IN BELLY'S
BEAST, IN HUNGER'S WIDTH,
UNFLAGGING! WE SING
TO RUPTURE
TIME! OF HERESY
THE BLARING HORN! OF HERESY
THE ENGINE'S ROAR! OF HERESY
THE RIPPLING FLAG! OF HERESY
THE AIR THAT LIT US

ENEMY!

- - -

link to access the poem via EBSCO Host (from Indiana Review, Summer 2022)