By Fred Edson Lafortune, Translated by Jean Dany Joachim and Jonathan Bennett Bonilla
tout batan pòt fèmen sou douvanjou depi lè w pati yon gwo pwela pandje sou fenèt mwen isit pa gen solèy pa gen bonjou isit pa gen lanmou pa gen je dou chak fwa lannuit pwente mwen panse avè w tout bagay te fini yon lè konsa lè lavi pase trepase tankou rad mal pase tout batan pòt fèmen sou lorizon m’ap viv ak pwòp tèt mwen mwen menm avè w tankou de imaj de potovi de zonbi k’ap chache wout sèl nan absans ou chak fwa lannuit tonbe rèv mwen plane sou zèl chòdchòd k’ap chache wout tèt anba 1 nan douvanjou san lorizon tout batan pòt fèmen fennen kou fèy zanmann mwen ak doub mwen se de majigridi de marasa de demeplè nan sann lekzistans tout bagay te fini yon jou kou jodia lè yon lòt tan te kòmanse mwen ak doub mwen s’on ti zile se rès yon kontinan k’ap gagari lanmè mwen panse avè w lè bajou pral kase se lè sa a li fè pi nwa sou popyè m w’a di absans ou s’on ze fele yon vennkatrè ki vole avan l fè klè isit pa gen djondjon pa gen chanmchanm isit pa gen bwapen pa gen sakpay tout batan pòt s’on tren ki pa kanpe yon bil ki pa peye tankou tout fanm gwòs gen pèdans lè lavi ap pran fre lanmò 2 lakay pa janm kite m lakay anba zòrye m lakay s’on gwo lakou ak grenadin lorye woz ak monbenbata chadèk ak lyannpanye lakay s’on ti sous dlo yon chèz dodin yon branch mango pou randevou lanmou lakay pa janm kite m se la mwen ak doub mwen soti se la mwen ak doub mwen rete tout batan pòt fèmen sou lorizon depi lè w pati yon rido blan pandje sou plafon kè m lari a frèt kou lanmò yon papiyon gri poze nouvèl yo pase tankou fè chabon tout limyè tenyen chak nòt mizik s’on silans yon powèm mal ekri 3 isit pa gen priyè pa gen tanbou chak fwa lannuit pwente mwen panse avè w mwen anvi wè w kote m bò kote m pou kenbe m fò gade m nan je san w pa ban m manti m’anvi w zanmi m manj’on ne kann a de m’anvi w ponyen m m’anvi mennen w lakay kou kolibri sou flè choublak kou ti kannòt majigridi k’ap degrennen chaplè lanmè an n al lazil cheri an n al gade plezi lavi an n al gade kantite rèv k’ap mi sou pye arebò galèt rivyè sèpan n’a jouke lavi bò granchimen n’a gade lavi nan je nou pap pale nou pap di anyen nou pap fè tèktègèdèk 4 an n al lazil cheri n’a monte mòn oko n’a kase fèy kouvri malè n’a tire lobe n’a wouke zanj nan dlo n’a trase vèvè n’a danse marinèt n’a vole lougawou n’a mare lapli nan pwent jipon pou nou ka pran lannuit daso an n al lazil cheri posesyon zetwal pral kòmanse kay grann milo se repozwa an n al avè m tanpri n’a woule sèso n’a bwè kokoye ole n’a kouri byen lwen tankou timoun fwonte chèche lanmou nan fetay kay n’a voye pikwa n’a bite tè konsa konsa na bwote dlo pou nou wouze biskèt solèy 5 an n ale vit tanpri n’a tire kont n’a jwe marèl ak flè dizè pou n kabre lajounen n’a fè lago ak mouche loray n’a lanbe rèv n’a peze kafe n’a plante pwadchous n’a dòmi reve je klè nou prale byen lwen dèyè yon touf powèm rak bwa tankou de moun fou pou n voye wòch kase tèt lanmou an n al lazil cheri lazil se peyi manman m se la timoun yo twoke rèv yo ak douvanjou pou yo ka pran lalin nan pyèj se la depi nan tan benbo bayawonn pouse bò granchimen pou resevwa larèn chantrèl 6 lazil se peyi solèy se la mwen sere souvni danfans mwen se la mwen sere sekrè foli m men… dèyè do lanmè yon kannòt chavire tankou yon boul kristal kò w boulonnen nan lespri m jipon w se vwèl ki kouvri machwè lanjelis bouch ou se govi ki kenbe chay plezi m bote w kaselezo nan kràn tèt mwen lonbray mwen ak lonbray ou blayi toutouni sou tèt mòn rafayèl mwen anvi konnen pouki m renmen w pouki lalin se kòd lonbrit lannuit mwen anvi konnen kote w rete lè vwa w pati anndan zantray lanmè 7 rèv mwen dekoupe an myèt mòso tankou zenglen zetwal van ap pote ale rèv ou ak rèv mwen se kòkòt ak figawo se maji kout fwèt kach k’ap mennen bèf lòtbò letan an n al lazil cheri lè chante ki pote koulè lanmou pòtre kwi nan mitan kalfou lè kout tanbou ki mare rèv vlope somèy nou gran jounen an n al lazil lè chante ki pote koulè lanmou soutni chak batman kè k’ap mouye anba lapli lè pawòl ki pote plezi lang nou trennen twa pwen sispansyon nan kaye memwa n 8
all doors shut on daybreak when you left a large tarpaulin hung over my window here there is no sun no greetings here there is no love no giving of the eye each time night arrives i think of you everything was over on a day like this when life expired like poorly pressed clothes all doors shut on the horizon i live with myself i and i like two images two sleepwalkers two zombies looking for salt in your absence each time night falls my dreams fly like bats finding their way upside down at dawn without horizon all doors shut like wilted almond leaves me and my double two scribbles twins troublemakers in the ash of existence everything ended on a day like this when another time began me and my double are a small island rest of a continent gargles the sea i think of you at daybreak time when it’s darkest on my eyelids as if your absence were a cracked egg twenty-four hours that fly before next day here there is no djondjon no chanmchanm here no pine kindling no straw bags all doors are a train that does not stop an unpaid debt as if all pregnant women miscarry when life inhales the scent of death home never leaves me home under my pillow home a vast yard with grenadine pink laurels and monbenbata grapefruit and lyannpanye home a small fountain a rocking chair mango branch for love’s rendezvous home never leaves me i and my double are from there there i and my double live all doors shut on the horizon when you left white tarpaulin draped over my heart’s surface street cold as death a gray butterfly appears news of this broke in an instant all the lights are off every musical note a silence a poem poorly written here there is no praying no drumming each time night comes i think of you i wish to see you beside me next to me holding me tight looking in my eyes telling me no lies i want you to be my friend eat a knot of sugarcane with you i want you to hold me tight to take you home like hummingbirds on hibiscus like insignificant vessels taking over the sea let’s go to Lazil darling let’s go enjoy life’s pleasures see a great many dreams ripening on the banks of the Sèpan river we’ll mount life alongside the main road we’ll look it in the eye we won’t talk we won’t speak a word we won’t do a thing let’s go to lazil darling we’ll climb Mount Oko pretend all is well we’ll make river water sing spray water-angels draw vèvè we’ll dance the marinèt shapeshift into werewolves hold back rain at the slip-edge to sneak up on the night let’s go to Lazil darling the parade of stars will soon begin Gramma Milo’s house is a sanctuary please come with me we’ll roll the hoop drink coconut water we’ll run very far like daring children do seeking love in the attics of houses we’ll use the pickaxe to turn the soil we’ll carry water to shower the bare chest of the sun please let’s go quickly we’ll tell riddles play hopscotch with flè dizè to evade the day we’ll play tag with thunderstorms we’ll nurse dreams and weigh coffee we’ll plant lima beans daydream we’ll go far away behind a bush of poems like two fools throwing stones to shatter love’s crown let’s go to lazil darling lazil my mother’s home city where children trade dreams with dawn to trap the moon since the beginning of time mesquite trees grow along the roadside there to welcome the queen Lazil city of the sun there i keep my childhood memories there i conceal the secret of my folly meanwhile… on the other side of the sea a canoe capsizes there your body is rooted in my spirit like a crystal ball your petticoat the veil that covers the jaws of night your mouth a govi that holds my pleasure your beauty fractures the bones of my skull my shadow with your shadow outstretched naked on the peak of Raphael Hill i want to know why do i love you why is the moon the night's umbilical cord i want to know where is your home when your voice is lost in the guts of the sea my dreams are shattered into tiny pieces like stardust that the wind blows away your dreams and mine are inseparable the magic of whips herding cattle on the other side of the pond when songs the color of love resemble gourd bowls placed at the crossroads when drumbeats which bind dreams encircle our sleep in the middle of the day let’s go to Lazil darling when songs the color of love sustain each heartbeat getting soaked in the rain when words the pleasure of our tongue drag three suspension points through memory’s notebook let’s go to Lazil
