FIRE

(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