FREDE FEAR
Frede a takru bedrigi Fear is an ugly deception
fu doystri ini eygi ay aimed at blurring your vision
a mindri smoko as if surrounded by smoke
pe y' e si letting you see ghosts
yorka e spuku deyten spooking around in broad daylight.
Frede a wan konsensfonfon Fear is a troubled conscience
d' e skrek' a yeye that starts your soul
mek' a lon moro tigri fes' winti letting it run faster than the jaguar under the wind.
Frede a yere soso krey a dungru Fear is to hear only cries in the dark
pe y' e prata bere ddon ppaya a gron where you, lying flat on your stomach on the mat on
e luk' fa libi e tron the floor,
mekunu a tap' pikadu are watching how life adds
Frede a wan libisma insult to injury.
sondro kra Fear is a heartless human being
di n' e bribi a Gado who doesn't believe in God.
Frede na futumarki Fear is the footprint
f' wan wiswasiman of a coward
d' e lib' todo sref' bron foto who even allows the toads to burn down the town.
Frede a wan yorka Fear is a ghost
d' e prey bakafutu banya that dances the bakafutu banya
te a fadon until it falls
ini en eygi greb'olo into its own grave.
*
SOROMARKI THE SCAR
Dis' a wan pen This is one great hurt
a skin-ati the pain
fu den bakatifi from the wisdom teeth
a ten f' den yungu yari when I was young
di dray baka gwe that has gone forever.
Dis' na tere
f' den bita yuru This is the end
fu tanapu of the bitter hours
nanga mankrakti to make a manly stand
f' swar' den garperki and swallow the gall pills
a mindri den krepiston while standing in the wilderness of pebbles.
Dis' a wan dek'ati
f' tyar' a kroysi This is a special courage
mindri den sorgu pkin to shoulder the cross
Dis' na soromarki while raising children.
di sabi diri
lib' a bakagron This is the scar
d' e seyri ini mi kabesa that knowledge
sabiso left behind in the field
tron watrây swanpu tide is still sailing in my mind.
Fu tru
Ondrofeni-skoro This is the scar
a basi that wisdom

60; turned into a swamp of tears today.
Truly, experience is
the best schoolmaster.
Poems from 'Awese' copyright © by Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout Estate, Paramaribo, 1965
Copyright this English translation 'Awese: Light in This Everlasting Dark Moon' © by
D. France Olivieira, Paramaribo, Suriname, 2010
FARJOURNEY CARIBBEAN 