(photo editing by Simon Max Bannister)
This is the second part of the Sculpture/Performance poetry piece I conceived and performed earlier this year in Johannesburg with sculptor Coenie Strydom, Life Vitrified / Klei Verewig. I later performed an adapted version of the work at the AfrikaBurn festival in the Tankwa Karoo.
It was performed and originally written in Afrikaans - a much more fiery language than English! Here follows the English translation. The Afrikaans follows thereafter.
II FIRE
my clay body is devoured by a tornado of flame
i am called to this new burning clan
at the point where i want to melt and dissolve
a mighty flame of vitrification shoots through my veins
and i know, i can withstand the searing pain
with this body that have stood by me through
the flaming years
ah, the excitement that i will soon be stepping outside fire
so that i can pour meaning into the world
with this fired skin
the fire will burn and scorch me, torment and purge me
it will even attempt to extinguish me
yes, the flames will hit me, chew me and try to swallow me alive
it will pull the last tears from my eyes
stand strong!
let the flames come, let it bend and buckle me
let it make me scream
soon it will let my soul glow from within
and let my skin glow from without
the heat waves will keep on growing,
but i will resist, i will fight
have faith in my strength, in my hardiness
like a piece of leather the flame will twist and turn me
so that the flaming power can be lead through
and completely free my cellular potential
have you ever seen, have you ever felt -
flame can not hold
flame can not cling
it glides flightily, mercurially over skin
even carries the face of a creature from hell
yes, he can burn, but he can not imprison
he can never estrange me from this wonder-earth
burn i will in its flaming path
but free i will stand, free!
so i have learnt to lap up fire with my own tongue
to chew and swallow it so as to ignite my own fire from within
look, the flutter flickering of flame looks just like
the flutter of tongue
sounds just like the flicker of tongue
at home is tongue in flame
it plays along in this burning game
the flame lashes around my limbs
wants to break my skeleton from its seams
i become like wood that fire greedily gorges
so that you there in the far dark corners will know:
this is one smoking and glistening struggle
that will soon spit my body out into pure sculpture
II VUUR
my klei-lyf word verswelg deur ‘n tornado van vlam
word ek geroep tot hierdie nuwe brandende stam
op die punt waar ek wil smelt en verteer
skiet ‘n magtige vlam van gehardheid deur my are
en weet ek, ek kan die skroeiende pyn ontbeer
met hierdie lyf wat getrou saam met my staan deur
die vlammende jare
ah, die opwinding dat ek binnekort buite vuur gaan trap
en betekenis met hierdie aangevuurde kliplaag in my
wêreld gaan tap
die vuur sal my brand, sal my skroei, folter en naai
dit sal selfs poog om my nek om te draai
ja, die vlamme sal my kap, kou en
lewend insluk
die laaste trane uit my oë pluk
hou uit! staan vas!
kom wat wou, laat hy my loei
laat hy my skroei
binnekort sal hy my gees van binne
en my vel van buite rooiwarm laat gloei
die hittegolwe sal bly groei,
maar ek sal aanhou baklei en stoei
hê geloof in my standvastigheid, in my dikvelligheid
soos ‘n stuk leer sal vlam my brei
om die vlamme-krag deur te lei
en so my sellulêre potensiaal toet en taal te bevry
het jy al gesien, het jy al gevoel –
vlam kan nie vashou
vlam kan nie vasklou
hy glip, gly vlugtig, kwiksilwerig oor vel
dra selfs die aangesig van ‘n kreatuur uit hel
ja, hy kan brand, maar hy kan nie gevangene neem
sal my nooit van van hierdie wonder-aarde kan vervreem
brand sal ek in sy vlammende baan
maar vry sal ek bly staan
so het ek geleer om vuur met my eie tong op te lek
te kou en maag toe te sluk om so my eie Vuur op te wek
kyk, die fladder flonkering van vlam lyk nes
die fladder van tong
klink nes die flonker van tong
tuis is tong in vlam
dit hoort so graag aan hierdie brandende stam
met sweepslae krul die vuur om my ledemate
wil my skelet breek uit haar nate
word ek soos hout wat vuur gulsig vreet
dat julle daar in die doer donker vertes sal weet:
hierdie is een rokende en glinsterende gewroeg
wat my liggaam spoedig tot suiwer beeld gaan uitspoeg
