Monday, March 23, 2009

equals. (osi)

..' and a poem dies '

this is an african poem

minus anti retrovirals
just blank verses on blank paper
hiv is an eraser
word by word vanishing it all *-

till a blankness equals blankness #-

no,not a jewel in the crown
this blade of grass that glints with dew
from the toils of the earth below
reflecting a dazzling glory

unlike drugs , it's available ..


/original/z.g.

[ ED-

-the words without immunity
get erased by the hiv *-
-and a blankness equals blankness #
--with due respect to sue's pov-just trying to improvise /
line no. 9 : from the mirth of earth down under
line no. 9 :re -ed : dec 18.2009.fri /
- from the toils of earth down under ]

[ the jewel in the crown- a paul scott novel ]
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17 comments:

  1. JeevesMarch 23, 2009 at 4:17 AM

    Unlike drugs it is available. Wonderful poem

    ReplyDelete
  2. anthonynorthMarch 23, 2009 at 6:19 AM

    Powerful. An excellent poem.

    ReplyDelete
  3. zoya gautamMarch 23, 2009 at 8:26 AM

    Deborah Godin said...

    " Equals OSI - Awesome!!"

    March 23, 2009 8:19 AM

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tumblewords:March 23, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    Awesome, indeed! Excellent work...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jacqueline DoveMarch 23, 2009 at 10:45 AM

    Ditto - awesome, wonderful, excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  6. sgreerpittMarch 23, 2009 at 2:33 PM

    Zoya -- that really hits me right in the gut, visceral in its power. I love the whole poem, but find the lines below particularly powerful:
    the words without immunity/
    get erased by the hiv

    ReplyDelete
  7. JimMarch 23, 2009 at 7:56 PM

    This is a sad state of affairs. Those 'poems' had every right given by God to survive with the 'jewel(s) their crowns.' 'Stewards of the earth,' are we being our 'brother's keepers' like we ought to be? I think not.
    Yet I do like YOUR poem only because it tells it like it is.
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  8. zoya gautamMarch 24, 2009 at 6:09 AM

    i remain proud of a sentiment that said in the midst of a tragedy -
    this day each one is a new yorker-
    that day was 9/11-
    in the same sense jim 'this is an african poem'-
    (ur cmnt does remind me of the funny side of american politics & its many luminous examples )..

    ReplyDelete
  9. zoya gautamMarch 24, 2009 at 2:31 PM

    ..to everyone,many thanks..

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 4:02 PM

    i wonder how many have to die in order to live??!! ... beautifully spoken...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amias (ljm and liquidplastic)March 25, 2009 at 8:09 AM

    Where there are commonalities in stories, and very little in the glory, what words can I add that haven't been said, except ... being a blank number, i know what blankness feels like.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Quiet PathsMarch 25, 2009 at 11:37 AM

    Very thoughtfully powerful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beth P.March 25, 2009 at 1:07 PM

    Hi zoya--
    I like Quiet Paths' comment--
    thoughtfully powerful.

    I am left with questions and pondering and wishing we-all could have a deeper conversation about this...

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousMarch 25, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    Excellent example of equals.

    ReplyDelete
  15. PattiMarch 26, 2009 at 12:20 PM

    "hiv is an eraser
    word by word vanishing it all *-"

    powerful words- powerful poem- excellently stated

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousApril 5, 2009 at 12:38 AM

    Really awesome !! write more Zoya :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. CaityMay 26, 2011 at 5:11 PM

    are you writing about me? sorry if not, and i seem arrogant - youtube user osi smokes

    ReplyDelete

..namastey!~

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