Zelo'yu Zihilu,
Collected Poems. Meles Negusse. Asmara, Eritrea:
Atlas Printing Press, 2008. i+105.
 |
| The Poet |
Anyone with the
habit of looking through newspapers has probably read a number of Meles Negusse's
poems. He is well-remembered for his famous poem Armadiona (Our
Cupboard) since it said how many families felt when they continuously moved their
residence from one neighbourhood to another during the mid 1990s. Many of his
poems have been printed in newspapers and those who have made poetry their cup
of tea have been familiar with them.
These poems that
have been dispersed on various newspaper issues have been collected and published
in a book. This book of collected poems titled Zelo'yu Zihilu (He Who is
Alive Will be Alive) comprises about 70 poems composed between the years of 1994
and 2007. Its first print sold out right away and went into reprint reaching
into many people's hands and tickling their fancy.
In the preface of
the book, the poet has put these about poetry: "Composing a poem begins
from the idea of how one understands life, correlates feelings on ideas and
ideas on feelings, it is to create profound feelings from high rising towers by
salvaging observation on the art of living." Meles's observation, like his
words above, has been able to dig numerous things which many of us take for
granted.
They celebrate love,
beauty, nationalism, martyrdom and heroism. They nurse hearts that failed in
love, question human nature and moral issues; in general, they talk about life.
Enqua'e Bidehan Metsakhi (Welcome), one of the poems that celebrate
undying love, is a very imaginative work. The persona in the poem is a dead
lover talking to his love who has followed him. It touches various issues which
many members of the society would gossip about when one dies after getting ill
and emaciated. People think that her death was from HIV/AIDS which the persona denies
that it was from missing him. The following stanza creates visual imagery passing
on the core of the poem:
I wonder about
those who shouldered your corpse
How they were able
to carry in a stretcher your bones
They may think
only your corpse they have borne
But you were the
whole world all-in-all
Besides your bones,
your heavy thoughts
were on their shoulders.
As inquiries on
human nature, Meles was able to prove his witty imagination by composing poems
that contrast human nature with animals and different kinds of plants. He has used
a dog in Kedish Natki Yihaysh, a tadpole in Sebn Winjrn, and wild
animals in Ensisa Zegedam in general as well as various vegetables and
fruits in Aynet Seb to create metaphors and similes. The analogies and
contrasts created by using the animals and plants clearly delineate moral
decadence, selfish and imprudent traits of human nature.
In P.B. Shelley's
Defense of Poetry we find these words: "Poets are the hierophants of an
unapprehended inspiration; the mirrors of gigantic shadows which futurity casts
upon the present; the words which express what they understand not; the
trumpets which sing to battle, and feel not what they inspire; the influence
which is moved not, but moves. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the
world." In justification of these words, Meles in composing Mezmur
Deqi-Hdrtna (The Fairies' Song), Mot Amakhari Delyu (Death Needed
Adviser), Seytan Entezmro (If the Devil Could Marry), Merf'e
(Needle) serves as a genuine hierophant for the layman who is lucky to read them.
Meles reflects on
the fairies' optimism for the world in contrast to humans' pessimism. He casts
gigantic shadows of the affluent future at present by marrying off the devil
with death. Reading Merf'e (Needle) which is personified and is shot
with his imagination as far as facing the Creator for judgment, one would be
moved.
Zelo'yu Zihilu is not short of elegies for the fallen hero. The
breadth and depth of Kal Sema'et, Milen, Merat Gual Siwuat
and Ade Sewra do not pass with out touching inner feelings. Kal
Sema'et (The Martyrs' Words) transfixes one's mind compelling it for self-evaluation;
it questions the conscience to put itself in a balance to weigh its deeds; it
keeps coming back to one's mind repeatedly with its swarming queries.
One of his
frequent personas in his poems about love is one that talks to his loved one or
ex-lover. He begs her to make decisions and amend her manners; he justifies his
actions to his lover; he demands explanations for her actions; and most of all
he praises her beauty.
The poet also hails
beauty in its natural features. In one of the poems, he advises a woman that her
beauty is more precious than quintals of gold. He asks her why she would need
grams of gold to embellish herself while she is naturally embellished. He also
chooses a traditionally brought up country girl for her beauty that needs no
make up.
Of society's moral
decadence, Meles has also sharpened his pen. His contrast of the Cathedral and
Ambassador Hotel – very well known monuments in downtown Asmara – depict how
people defy morality and lead their life with obscenities.
The title of the
book is from the title of one of the poems. It shows that love is undying and
unconditional. The persona reflects that she was right to leave him for he
could provide her nothing but love. He juxtaposes his sadness with her
happiness on her wedding day. He again regrets for cursing her saying it was
from extreme anger. On the pretext of asking her wellbeing after she gives
birth to a child, he visits her to express his nostalgia. He then asks her why
her husband died and consoles her saying: "He who is alive will be alive."
There are also
poems that reflect reality at hand. One instance is the poem – Ajoki Yohana
– about the readiness and devotion of the Eritrean youths who are defending the
nation's sovereignty. Eta Merat is also another poem that shows the
hardship communities went through during the border wars in 2000; it is a
painting drawn with words.
Meles's poems have
ideas that surprise, astonish, interrogate the conscience, shoot one's ideas
what real love could mean…. The use of animals, recurring references to death,
employing inspirations from various inanimate objects are all spellbinding.
As it was stated
by a reviewer during its launch, the page layout of the book is not that much
attractive. In addition, the flow of ideas and coherence between stanzas breaks
off in a number of poems. A few poems lack proper punctuation; at times one
finds a single punctuation mark either a full stop or question or exclamation
marks at the end of the poem.
Wild Animals
What are you
running away from?
Where would you
like to be?
Forget your jungle
And come to the
city.
Not even one bush
remains
Back there. Enough
thunder
And the ground
always shaking.
Here you can take
it easy.
Look, the gate
opens.
Leave your fear
outside.
Welcome.
Young or old,
women or men –
No one should be
denied
The comfort of
civilization.
Or has the jungle
Already seen it
come,
Leaving mines
instead of trees
And trading your
sulfur
For the breath of
freedom?
Better take the
city instead
And let that wild
man
Sniffing blood
Live the way you used
to
But not any more –
Eating his own
kind
Dead or alive.
He can have your
place.
No comments:
Post a Comment