Thursday, November 22, 2007

Kapka Kassabova, Poet

Can you tell I'm between projects ... and I have all this energy.

So I was over reading Harvey's blog and discovered a favourite poet's poem posted there.

Kapka Kassabova has been a favourite ever since she introduced me to the concept that New Zealand wasn't some continent down at the bottom the world, with her book 'All Roads Lead to the Sea'.

I thought on it some and realised this immigrant chick was entirely right and most roads in New Zealand, sooner or later, lead to the sea. My island, the South Island is about 600kms long and 200kms across approximately.

My island.

So yes ...

Anyway, Harvey had posted a poem which led me back to Kapka's website ... she's a writer now, pursuing her passion and talks of being 'professionally poor', I recognise the job description.

Here is one of her poems:

Refugees


Look: the poverty of rain
Let's gather it in thimbles of patience
Then pour it out in the mud

Meanwhile
We'll count all the worlds
to which we'll never go

We must remember memory is hope.
But quietly, for words can cut out gaps in us
so wide, we'd find
too many bodies lying there

Forget, we must forget
the memories they open up and blossom
like switch-blades in the guts

Look: this is the world we have
Too poor to hide in
Too dark to cross, too single to forget

2003.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you enjoyed it Di! She's a very original poet: slightly excessive in style, great imagination, never pedestrian but always on the move.

Marianne said...

It has been a long time since I read anything by Kapka, thank you for the reminder, the poem and the link. PS: I also love the photo of the flag.

Di Mackey said...

Was that you Harvey, as Anon? Anyway,the poem sent me searching for her website and I was so delighted with where her road seems to be taking her these days.

Hi Frida, I have 'All Roads' back home in NZ and periodically go searching for other old favourites like Hone Tuwhare. I really have to commit and get all my books over here one day soon ...

ren powell said...

Thanks for this!

Di Mackey said...

A pleasure, ren.kat. She's brilliant, isn't she and I loved that particular poem when I found it.