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Poetry in the Cities of LiteratureRandj Sangawi

Let's get acquainted with the poets of the city of Slemani Slemani UNESCO City of Literature.
Ranj Sangawi was born in 1977 in the town of Sangaw and grew up in Slemani. He studied Media in the TV Department of the College of Humanities. He has been publishing poetry since 1998 and he is the author of two poetry books: (Don’t Let Yourself Fade Away) and (Another City).
Today we invite you to listen to Ranj Sanghavi's poem:


How can this age be the age of music?
Where is the poetry written in it?
I’d better gather my words into a will.
Until life knocks upon your door,
a thousand times death comes.
For whom shall I write poetry?
How could a wall ever have ears?
It was a lie.
The era in which those words were spoken
has already drowned.
For years I’ve been living—
neither the village heard a thing, nor the city.
Neither the tree ever grew ears, nor the wall.
Once, we were all springs—
but pond-worshippers made us still.
We were full of beautiful phrases—
but they quieted every thrill.
Many nights, I search for our house
on Google…
When I grew up, I lost it
within my heart.
Now,
we share one root of language,
yet cannot understand one another.
On the same street,
we walk toward each other—
but never meet.
Our hands rest in our pockets,
not for greeting.
We splash stench on one another,
not rosewater.


The project was created by the Odesa UNESCO City of Literature and being implemented with funds raised by Reykjavík Bókmenntaborg UNESCO as part of the readings initiated by Milano City of Literature “Not Just Words” (Reading for Odesa) on February 24, 2024.

Illustration

© Created by Odesa Unesco City of Literature

Website created with the support of Ukrainian Cosmopolis

All rights Reserved

Illustration

© Created by Odesa Unesco City of Literature

Website created with the support of Ukrainian Cosmopolis

All rights Reserved