by Jazra Khaleed
translated from the Greek by Jason Rigas
1.
o amaranth sea I yearn to hear your whispers
to the three frolicking dolphins
flitting through the blossoming waves
as the eternal sea crashes
a bat tangled up in the hair of the west
the inland waves are no less giant
the body’s touch is no less deep
girls please don’t
their hair unravels deep into the future
half-sunken boats
on the beach the skeletons
patient urns on aegean window sills
cliff statues sculpted by centuries of wind and water
this jagged natural beauty seems unparalleled
boggles the minds of sea junkies and flavor chasers alike
2.
who is that splayed out on the sand up there
a foamy wave slithers through his seaweed legs
deep body vessel of the day
honest blood out for blood
as the eternal sea crashes
half-sunken boats
ants work the chest
a well-preserved necropolis
cliff statues sculpted by centuries of wind and water
you’re the first non-mermaids to come through here
girls please don’t
this sailboat cuts through the waters
sea we can stand in so we don’t sink
a springboard for sharpening the senses and exercising the mind
a haven for authenticity addicts and low-profile travelers alike
3.
my silence is too high a price to pay
that night that is just night
a bat tangled up in the hair of the west
from the beach you can hear the east like a faint hum
a well-preserved necropolis
inland lunar terrain
worth setting aside a few days to enjoy them stress free
you will feel like you’ve made it to heaven
a sense of calm, and an eternal conversation between land and sea
every shade of blue before you
the whole place gives off sweet scents of wild thyme and oregano
it’s a magical world this polynesian aegean
where even the divine takes on human form
an affordable yet totally authentic vacation destination
a convergence of continents, a cradle of civilization, and a treasure trove of inspiration and creativity all in one
* Revolving Doors, a poem in 36 parts, follows, with some deviations, the structure of Nanni Balestrini’s Blackout (Rome: DeriveApprodi, 2001).
A list of sources used in this cut-up and the pattern of their usage is available here; the poet’s introduction to the work is available here.
Barricade is publishing the first 16 poems in the series on our web forum Ramparts throughout the month of August; the full 36-poem sequence will be available as a print zine in September 2024. Revolving Doors will also be published in THE LIGHT THAT BURNS US, an expanded anthology of Khaleed’s work forthcoming from World Poetry Books on October 10. Pre-order at worldpoetrybooks.com.