Simone Inguanez
Invited by the city Valletta, Malta
"Talk to me, again. I might start
a collection, honeyed voices,
leaning against books / on shelves."
a collection, honeyed voices,
leaning against books / on shelves."
I wait at the window, on the balcony, the terrace. All ears
Nope. If I downed this cuppa, came a little closer : I’d hear you exhale.
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Maybe the walls are crumbling in this house,
this little lair, this castlegarrison-- |
A message. And another.
A white dove, friendly, foraging-- |
I could name her. Keep her. Or maybe not?
Water, water. Soap. Water. Scrub hard. Again, I hear you
: cough. Cough. Hang on. Two meters, how many steps is that?
My stride and yours aren’t the same length. Neither are mine and mine, when I hurry, when I stroll. Was that your voice?
Can we for just five seconds? Draw your finger along
: you on one side, I on the other -- spelling out exhaustion in the cracks. Doorbell. Hear that?
The postman. He’s brought me verses -- still piping hot : On the threshold, the threshold. And he’s gone. I bend down. Pick them up, just barely
touching them. The splendor of restraint. We scrutinise each other from afar. Talk to me, again. I might start
a collection, honeyed voices, leaning against books / on shelves. Day after day, I stare
at the beams : I talk to them, they’ve come to life -- laden with olives, and the air now and the ceiling are weighing down. |
GĦELUQNistenna fit-twieqi, il-gallarija, it-terrazza. Nissemma’
Xej’. ’Kk dit-tazza niblagħha f’nifs, u nersaq qrib : nisimgħak tonfoħ.
Ma nafx ħitan did-dar humiex jitmermru,
dil-bejta ċjejkna, dal-kastellfortizza– Messaġġ. U ieħor.
Ħamiema dħulija bajda tgħarrex– Nista’ nagħtiha isem. Nista’ nżommha. Jo?
Ilma, ilma. Sapun. Ilma. Ogħrok sew. Qed nisimgħek, nerġa’
: tqaħqaħ. Tqaħqaħ. Żomm. Kemm jagħmlu passi, żewġ metri?
Il-passi tiegħi u l-passi tiegħek mhux indaqs. U tiegħi mgħaġġla u tiegħi kalma, lanqas. Dak leħnek kien?
Ħames sekondi nistgħu? Għaddi sebgħek
: int minn naħa, mill-oħra jien – nispellu l-għeja minn bejn ix-xquq. Il-qanpiena. Smajtha?
Tal-posta. Wassalli l-versi – għadhom jikwu : Fuq l-għatba, fuq l-għatba. U jgħib. Nitbaxxa. Neħodhom f’idi, kemm kemm
immisshom. Il-ġmiel tar-rażan. Ninxteħtu niflu ’l xulxin mill-bogħod. Kellimni, erġa’. Nitħajjar nibda nġemmagħhom, l-ilħna mielsa, imserrħin mal-kotba / fuq l-ixkafef. Jum war’ jum, niċċassa
lejn ’it-travi : inkellimhom, ħadu l-ħajja – imtlew żebbuġ, u l-arja u s-saqaf issa tqalu sew. |
Simone InguanezSimone Inguanez was born in Bormla, Malta in 1971. She is the author of ftit mara ftit tifla and water, fire, earth and I : a selection of her poetry translated into English (Tr. Maria Grech Ganado), and co-author of 7 poets 4 days 1 book.
Her poetry was translated into various languages and published in a number of anthologies and on various literary websites. In 2007, she was the recipient of a writer’s residency at the Iowa International Writing Programme (IWP). She has presented her works at a number of festivals and workshops. Photo Credit: Thomas Langdon |
About Europe at Home
This project invites different European cities to bring an artistic perspective on the particular moment of our history – the COVID-19 pandemic - that was lived “at home”. “Europe at Home” is a project carried out by Faro – European Capital of Culture 2027 Candidate City. For more information, please send us an email. |
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