Poetry Recommendations: Lexicon
8 poems exploring the human condition through linguistic identity
In honour of Zhagaram’s Lexicon issue, we’re sharing eight poems that are brave, vulnerable and true in the way they explore the human condition through the lens of linguistic identity. We’re open for submissions until 31st August for any poems you may write inspired by these wonderful poets.
1. “Do You Speak Persian?” by Kaveh Akbar
Some days we can see Venus in mid-afternoon. Then at night, stars
separated by billions of miles, light travelling years
to die in the back of an eye.Is there a vocabulary for this—one to make dailiness amplify
and not diminish wonder?I have been so careless with the words I already have.
I don’t remember how to say home
in my first language, or lonely, or light.I remember only
delam barat tang shodeh, I miss you,and shab bekheir, goodnight.
2. 我疼你 by Chen Chen
疼, which contains 冬,
which means winter.
Likely a sonic borrowing, since 疼 is téng, 冬 is dōng—
probably, at an earlier time, they lived closer
in sound. Winter, livingbeneath the roof-like 疒 radical, meaning “sickness.”
To be sick in the heart of winter. No.
To be sick with a winter’s heart. No.
To be sick with winter for you—is that the love
I feel? A perpetual innerDecember? Does to love mean to worry, to be a worrier
on the snowy field of another’s face?
Once, you said you were worried
I’d get my brothers, your other (truer?) sons, sick.
More than once. The both of you. Said. This.
3. To The Common Tongue by Chen Chen
4. I Dream of An English by Meena Kandasamy
5. ȚARA ARDE ȘI BABA SE PIAPTĂNĂ by Adriana Oniță
The country is on fire and the old woman is brushing her hair.
—Romanian proverb
Because she can’t smell the smoke. Because she’s combing out the flames. Because her country is a rough draft. Because she set fire to the country. Because she’s seen it all. Because she knows rain is coming. Because she won the war. Because she lost her children in the war. Because she wanted to become proverb. Because she is the library about to burn. Because her body is bait.
6. PĂLĂVRĂGEALĂ by Adriana Oniță
―Wait, shouldn’t the Romanian words appear in italics?
―Maybe italics would make it easier to skip over them.
―Why aren’t there footnotes, or a translation, or a glossary?
―Not translating the Romanian seems arrogant. Personally, I would want my writing to be understood.
7. From “Glossary of Grief” by Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach
witness / _______
to bear the ness “action, quality,
or state” of wit “knowledge”
to bear meaning “carry, bring”
in your hands and mouth
from root bher- “carry
a burden” meaning “bring forth,
give birth, produce” in your body
more bodies to bear meaning I walked
the earth bearing my dead
I walked bearing my son’s body
I walked meaning “endure
without resistance” meaning
imagine an earth soft enough
8. Dear White Critic, ،رفيقي في الرحيل by Zeina Hashem Beck
Cover Photograph by Alex Shuper.
Did I miss any of your favourite poems? Give Zhagaram and its readers your Lexicon poetry recommendations in the comments.