Bilingual tanka in Irish and English (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) by Gabriel Rosenstock in response to paintings by Ukrainian artists.
«Woman with Birds» (1928). Painting by Aleksandra Ekster.
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birds in their cages
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Painting by Fedir Krychevsky. «Love» (1927).
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they bombard cities great bridges crumble and fall they demolish homesteads do they wish to destroy love? they are but fanning the flames cathracha á lot droichid mhóra á mbuamáil tithe á réabadh an mian leo an grá a scrios? is á ghr íosú atá siad |
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Painting by Oleksandr Bogomazov. «Electrician» (1915).
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power is the problem
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Painting by Victor Palmov. «Fisherman» (1928).
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the dead fisherman
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Painting by Oleksandr Pashenko. «Cranes on the Overpass» (1959).
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we raze to the ground
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Painting by Heorhiy Narbut. «Fairy Tales» (1910).
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what to tell children
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POSTSCRIPT:
«When war breaks out people say: 'It won't last, it's too stupid.' And war is certainly too stupid, but that doesn't prevent it from lasting.»
Albert Camus, «The Plague» .
Source: https://www.culturematters.org.uk/
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Gabriel Rosenstock — poet, tankaist, haikuist, novelist, essayist, playwright, author/translator of over 180 books, mostly in Irish (Gaelic). Rosenstock is one of the foremost poets in Ireland in both English and Irish. He also writes haikus and he works as translator and as assistant editor for an Irish-language publishing house. He writes primarily in Irish and is the author or translator into Irish of over one hundred books. He is member of several literary societies and organisations, such as the Innti group and Aosdána.