Venice masks

Thursday, 23 October 2025

Problem - Goodwill Siboniso Mkhwanazi

Life yearned for by multitudes
A ceremony of the first fruits
That causes both young and old
To walk up and down

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Women’s Chorus - Aristophanes

They're always abusing the women,
As a terrible plague to men:
They say we’re the root of all evil,
And repeat it again and again;

Tuesday, 21 October 2025

African Poem - Antonio Agostinho Neto

There on the horizon the fire
and the dark silhouettes of the imbondeiro trees
with their arms raised
in the air the green smell of burnt palm trees

Monday, 20 October 2025

The death ceremony - Jack Lahui

He has fallen out of the parade of life,
So we farewell him with pints of precious tears,
Embroid the log in his best attire,
Smear the motionless figure with odorous spice.

Sunday, 19 October 2025

Dear God, I’ve not finished yet - Magda Isanos

Dear God, I’ve not finished yet
The song you sang me when we met.
Don’t send me angels of fire and ice
Every evening, sometimes twice.

Saturday, 18 October 2025

Lightly - Ángela Hernández Núñez

In innocence, eternity is possible.

But I have loved in haste,
with the attentiveness of objects that fly away.
I find myself saying, close the doors.

Friday, 17 October 2025

After having you - Carlos Bahr

After having you,
What reason is there to think of time,
how many hours have passed or remain?

Thursday, 16 October 2025

I hope so much - Mas'ud-i Sa'd-i Salmān

I am a fallen person in a thousand sorrows
In each breath my life's looking to end

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

Separation - Iqbal Tamimi

She sketched him in the froth of her coffee,
Hoping he would never leave.
She could not turn off the siren
Or the storm that leapt
Inside her cup.
She saw soldiers
Chasing him down the track,
Ordering him to surrender.
The shackles howled;
There was no turning back.

Tuesday, 14 October 2025

Tongue - Lee Jang-wook

Put out your tongue.
I’ll give you a lump of sugar.
Every time something reaches your soft stomach from enamel teeth
a process of transformation is required
in order to maximize its nutritional value,
to make everything one.