Enter the Global Voices Valentine's Day poetry contest!
Translations
HERE AT Global Voices we're in love with lots of things: blogging, international friendships, foreign languages, free wi-fi. And there are even some of us on the GV team who don't consider Valentine's Day a cheesy occasion viewed positively only by Americans, florists, chocolatiers and the CEOs of greeting card companies.
So, when — on soliciting suggestions for a way to mark Valentine's Day in these pages — our co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon mentioned a poetry contest she ran on her blog a couple of years ago, we fell so deeply in love with the idea that we decided to steal it for ourselves.
So if you're in the mood for love, or even if you view Valentine's Day (or love) with a jaundiced eye (as we all know, some of the best poetry is born of distress), please take part in our Valentine's Day poetry contest.
CONTEST RULES
- Entries must be in some sort of verse, not necessarily rhyming
- Entries must be no more than 30 lines long
- Entries must in some way have to do with 1) love/Valentine's Day and 2) blogging/citizen media, and have some sort of “regional flavour” (we'll leave it up to you to decide what that means)
- Entries may be submitted in any language, though submissions NOT in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Farsi or Mandarin Chinese MUST be accompanied by an English translation
- Entries are open to anyone anywhere in the world, including Global Voices editors, authors and advisory board members
- Entries must be the original work of the entrant and should not have been previously published elsewhere before February 1, 2007
- Entries must be submitted in the comments section for this post and will be moderated according to the guidelines governing all other comments received at Global Voices (ie no hate speech, obscenities etc). Feel free to send in as many as you wish, but please submit only one poem per comment box
- Entries must be posted by midnight PST (GMT -8) on Wednesday 14 February, 2007 to be considered for the contest (please provide a genuine email address)
The winning entries will be showcased on the Global Voices web site.
So what are you waiting on? In some parts of the world it's already Valentine's Day, so get cracking on that haiku/limerick/ghazal/madrigal/sonnet/ode/gangsta rap/elegy about the wonders/joys/perils of love!
UPDATE: The contest is now closed!
Image: A costume component from the “Heart that Sings” section of “The Sacred Heart”, Peter Minshall's 2006 presentation for the Trinidad & Tobago carnival. Courtesy caribbeanfreephoto.
52 comments
Love Sonnet to a New Post
When, in disgrace with Orkut and men’s eyes
I all alone beweep my sitemeter;
Trouble other bloggers, crave replies,
Fisk Paul to be blogrolled by Peter.
Wishing myself like to one more rich in prose,
Features like his, like him with links possess’d,
Wanting this man’s template, that man’s jokes;
With what I most enjoy commented least.
Then, in these thoughts at myself griping
Haply I think of thee, and then my state
Like to a million monkeys at daybreak typing
Writes Shakespeare, or something approximate.
For thy sweet love conceived so perfectly maddens,
Than then I scorn to change my site with Scott Adams.
Yet another Valentine’s day
Yet another Valentine’s day
when I don’t know the way
all I can say
i’m waiting for you to make my day
Blogging frees my mind
the worries melt away
I’m aching for that expressive email
that makes my heart sway
The night is still young
the dawn is far away
I’m waiting for my tam-brahm girl
who will make my heart unfurl
No one provides any succour
I shall turn to humour
Here I am in an alien land
waiting to be someone’s hero
However, there isn’t much hope
girls here form a set of measure zero
I can’t stay put
I keep logging onto Orkut
However, there isn’t much hope
I think I’ll become the Pope !
Speak for we all have love
One day when sitting under the pier
I ask of you to take hold of my hand
And walk for a while on the cold gritty sand
So I can show you off to my friends, from a far distant land
How will we get there, you hastily add
(From here we can see the world)
As I show you my blog, this crazy new fad
To share our love to all who will see
This Valentines Day atrocity
If love is evil, and love is dead
(Through lover’s pain of breaking up)
Then what is here, but a morgue of red roses?
Love is much more, its hear as we speak
A united army of voices and souls
Take control of our world, cherish and speak
Foto en Pixeles o Conjeturas hechas cuando veo la foto del amado en su blog
(Panamá)
Conjuras.
Conjuntas y renacen.
Arranque sin asco
del hombre un color,
Las voces que oyes,
mi palabra que dice
parpadeando en luz
tu imagen.
Translation of poem by Global Voices editor David Sasaki:
Photo in pixels or conjectures arrising when looking at my beloved’s photo on his blog. (Panama)
Conjurer.
Together and reborned.
Color uprooted
from man without revolt.
The voices you hear,
my word that speaks,
in flickering light,
your image.
Madam, I am 28, single.
I live alone, and nobody
has my Orkut password.
I have never had a girl
friend. Madam, I think
I am lonely. Are you?
Scrap me with your
ladyfingers. On IM we
will profess online love.
Don’t tell me you are
married. Does not say so
on your very public profile.
On Valentine, I hunt for
empty scrap books. I am
finding your lovely self Madam.
I don’t need
to know
englísh
to say you
how a guy like me
can write in a blog
the most recorded words
in the world
I love you
(in Global Love)
El olor de tu recuerdo me ha hecho calmar las ansias resguardadas como pelotones en mi pecho, se han atrincherado y se contentan con distanciadas raciones de canciones y comidas, de vinos buenos y malos, de frases hechas y emociones deshechas.
En medio de este mundo inmenso que todos los días nos restriega que es cada vez más minimo, tu te me has perdido de la cibergalaxia, te escapaste a través de la fibra óptica, te ocultaste en la nueva colonia.
Ven y tomame nuevamente con tu risa jacarandosa, con tu cabello brillante atame a tus ideas, no permitas que mire a otros ojos que no contengan la almibarada presencia de tus almendras oscuras
Translation by David Sasaki
The scent of your memory has calmed my sheltered nerves like punches on my chest. They have retreated and found content with divided rations of songs, meals, good and bad wines, statements made, and shattered emotions.
In the middle of this immense world that every day rubs its contraction in our faces, you have left me in the cybergalaxy, you escaped through fiber optics, you hid in a new neighborhood.
Come and take me again with your carefree laugh; with your shining hair, tie me to your ideas, don’t allow me to look at other eyes that don’t contain the sweet presence of your dark almonds.
l’Amour “MoraMora”
le soleil m’a prédit
que je croiserai ta route
mais que si tu n’es pas encore là
il ne faut pas que je m’inquiète
car tu entreras dans ma vie
façon doucement doucement
le vent m’a murmuré
que tu seras raffiné(e)
mais que… si tu n’es pas encore là
il ne faudrait pas que je m’inquiète
car tu entreras dans ma vie
façon doucement doucement
les oiseaux m’ont raconté
que tu seras réservé(e), très très soigné(e),
et surtout cultivé(e)
mais que … si tu n’es pas encore là
il ne faudrait pas que je m’inquiète
car tu entreras dans ma vie
façon doucement doucement
puisque tout est écrit
et puisqu’ils m’ont dèja tous dit
j’ai vraiment envie de croire
et même hâte de te voir
ne prend pas trop ton temps
façon doucement doucement
Hjk
_________
“moramora” est un mot malgache qui signifie : “doucement doucement”. Slowlow en englais. C’est la conception malgache de la vie et du temps. Un art de vivre à Madagascar. On ne se précipite pas, car tout vient à point à qui sait attendre. Je pensais notamment à tous ces célibataires, errant sur la toile, n’ayant pas trouver la personne idéale dans la vrai vie et espérant un jour de la trouver sur le web :)… on ne désespère pas car un jour ça viendra.
Translation of poem by Global Voices editor Alice Backer:
“moramora” love
the sun has told me
that i will cross your path
but that if you’re not yet there
that I need not worry
for you will enter my life
slow-ly slow-ly
the wind has whispered to me
that you will be refined
but that … if you’re not yet there
that I need not worry
for you will enter my life
slow-ly slow-ly
the birds have recounted to me
that you will be reserved, very very neat
and most of all cultured
but that … if you’re not yet there
that I need not worry
for you will enter my life
slow-ly slow-ly
since it was all written
and since they’ve already told me
i really want to believe
and am even dying to see
don’t take too long
though slow-ly slow-ly
Hjk
————-
“moramora” is a malagasy word that means: “slowlyslowly”. It is the Malagasy idea of life and time. A way of life in Madagascar. We do not hurry since good things come to those who wait. I was especially thinking of all singles, erring on the sand, not having found that ideal person in real life but hoping to one day find him/her on the web :)… We don’t despair because one they he/she will show up.
Love the idea but I cannot find a rhyme to save my life so no submission from me. I would like to vote for my fave poem though, is there a way to do that ? :)