Walls

I was going to read out this poem as the closing to my talk about How To Talk to Strangers at Galeri Petronas last Sunday, but decided against it at the last minute. Felt too maudlin. It's not a maudlin poem however. So here it is. I will include it in a catalogue for The Independence Project which travels to Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces in April. Once again, thanks Newt for always giving me poetry that I like and find useful.


Nazim Hikmet
'9 - 10pm'

The most beautiful sea
hasn't been crossed yet.

The most beautiful child
hasn't grown up yet.

Our most beautiful days
we haven't seen yet.

And the most beautiful words I wanted to tell you
I haven't said yet.

They've taken us prisoner,
they've locked us up:
me inside the walls,
you outside.

But that's nothing.
The worst
is when people - knowingly or not -
carry prison inside themselves...
Most people have been forced to do this,

honest, hard-working, good people
who deserve to be loved as much as I love you.