Poetry at Sangam

SangamHouse

 










AI-YAI-YAI by Abdourahman A. Waberi

(Translated from the French by Nancy Naomi Carlson.)

the eye drinks, doesn’t merely see
the eye grows quicker than the finger
achieves negative exploits
and even positive ones, agreed!
the eye perceives all around the hand of God
like silk the eye caresses things
man dies seated
upright or stretched out on earth hands crossed
feet in front and body stiff
life steals away like a thief