Stones don’t bleed
It is time the stone made an effort to flower
said Celan
It is time it bled red I say
And love
And love
And love
flowed out of its wound
for ever and ever
Amen
The calendar says September
but why so short the time to dance
The pace of clocks has been quickened
and the days pass like trains
hurrying out of a station
Short or long
what matter
if the journey been filled
with desire and longing
and a purpose under the heavens
Shall my mouth speak the truth
and say I do not want to die
Lord
Give me strength to trust
through the fear
I know not the beginning nor the ending
but pain is eternal and speaks in multiple voices
Need I add mine to the chorus
when death comes and finds me alone
When I am turned to stone and bone
I will bleed a red thread in the ground
I am a woman
in an abandoned city
Deserted
Deserted
Deserted
by All.
Michèle Voltaire Marcelin
*Inspired by a phrase of Paul Celan, the Jewish resistance poet who urged : "It is time the stone made an effort to flower" in his poem Corona.
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Michèle Voltaire Marcelin is a poet/writer, performer and painter who was born and raised in Haiti, sojourned in Chile, and currently lives in the United States. The publication of her first novel “La Désenchantée” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2006) was followed by its Spanish translation “La Desencantada” and two other books of poetry and prose: “Lost and Found” and “Amours et Bagatelles” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2009) - translated into Spanish by Editorial ALBA as "Amores y cosas sin importancia" - all of which garnered rave reviews. Her writings are also featured in 3 anthologies published in France: "Cahier Haiti" (published by RAL'M-2009), "Terre de Femmes" (Editions Bruno Doucey-2011) "Revue Intranqu'îllités" (2012). She speaks and writes fluently French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. She has a BFA from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at CUNY and a Masters from The New School for Social Research.
Beautiful poem. Your writing is inspirational. Brava for you.
I very much enjoyed meeting you and hearing you read your poetry yesterday evening (Tue 041012) at the Sun Poets Open mic.
Thank you for sharing your art with us.
Thank you so very much Akeith. It was a pleasure to meet you and a wonderful experience. Until soon, somewhere. MM
[…] her poem “Stones don’t bleed,” Michèle Voltaire Marcelin transports and translates Celan to […]