On Nasturtium Street
July, behind the school
no one enjoys
the shade of the chestnuts
white house
conversations in the garden –
the past is inside
a wall of crooked stones
supports a line of box
my aching back
no cry of cicadas
just the sound of a baby
falling asleep
the only bloom
on next door’s patch –
an abandoned parasol
concrete tiles, concrete bricks
a shoot of ivy on a trunk –
is it strong enough?
Linda tells us
about 24 hour poetry
the plot of the clouds thickens
new grass comes in squares
slugs and ladybirds
not included
trees in the yard
nature constrained –
a human soul in the world.
A 9-verse ‘simultaneous renga’
in the Literature & Translation House,
Latinka Street, Sofia,
on 27th July 2016.
Participants:
Boris Deliradev
Linda France
Yana Genova
Stefan Ivanov
Zdravka Mihaylova
Margarita Peeva
Yana Punkina
Unusual to work with a group of folk for whom English isn’t their first language writing in English in their own country – hence the impromptu/simultaneous nature of this renga and the three-line verses throughout. Everyone responded to the space and wrote their own verse and then we worked on the editing of the whole piece together. It was a great chance to share the renga form in a country where it is unknown and a lovely way to get to know more people there interested in writing and poetry.
Also, a sort of blessing for the Literature House, which is in the middle of renovation and expanding into its wonderful role as a sanctuary and resource for writers and translators from all over the world. It’s on Latinka Street, which means Nasturtium in English! We also had in our midst a Geranium (Zdravka) and a Marguerite (Margarita)…
Photo by Zdravka Mihaylova
Botanical 