Friday 7 September 2012

Hunting for peace / One thousand pieces

A while back I was looking for a suitable poem for my remembrance piece for Lidice.
That time I was lucky to stumble upon '1 November' by Bernard Dewulf.

During that search on Lyrikline I also came across a strong and impressive poem by Sharrif Simmons.
'One thousand pieces' (from 'Fast cities and objects that burn', Moore Black Press, NY, 1999)

He did a brilliant reading that sucked me straight in. I just had to do something with this.
After looking for a way to contact Sharrif, I was very happy and proud to have been given consent for making this videopoem.

there are long silences in me

they come to me
as they have come to millions

in them are roads
narrrow paths
with no signs or light
nor intimidation

only the silence of pure darkness
undisturbed by the beat of the dragon´s heart

i place my foot slowly
               carefully
onto the path
the sensation invites me to walk further

i breathe silent air
no earth on my feet
without movement
i float along the thinning street

there are more silences
now than ever in my life
a universal peace that rips me into a thousand pieces
each part is suddenly renamed

i am Allah
i am Krishna
i am Jesus
i am Buddha
i am Vishnu and Ogun
i am Shiva
i am Osiris
i am Odin and Zeus

Pavrati and Kali
Elegba and Oshun

i am one thousand pieces
bursting into the midnight canvas
my colors are no longer of this rainbow
i´m walking in unison with the answers to my questions
and the deep nest of black clouds

i am Elohim
Moses
Mohammed
and Thor
in parade with the Valkryies
i am the madness of King George
i am Isis and Rah
Ahnknaton and Horus

a clap of miracles and lightening shatters the dark sky
the illumination blinds me
sinking me further into the silence of the still mind
in my mind i see this same road
on it walks a child
it is a girl
her features are thin
her skin is deep black
her hair is even darker
and sparkles with grey streaks
she is no more than seven years old
i reach for her hand
from her hair she removes a scroll
and whispers in my ear
i, too, am made of
one thousand pieces


Believe it or not, I had this track; 'Hunting for peace' that was just perfect for the rythm and atmosphere of his reading. A reading he had done for Lyrikline in 2001.



All I needed were the right images. As you can see in the pictures. I went for images I made of a helicopter. Nothing more noting less.


Words & Voice: Sharrif Simmons
Concept, camera, editing & music: Swoon
Recording poem: M. Mechner for Lyrikline.org

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