POETRY TRAVELS with Anna Blasiak and Lisa Kalloo: AVATAR by Laura Fusco, translated by the author and Alan Dent

They are called by the names of gods
or ancestors,
or heroes of comics and soap,
actors or singers footballers or poets.
She looks like Kalì,
a necklace of skulls around her neck,
dark complexion,
oil eyes all dark green with reflections when turning
and golden, very long
and knotted her hair,
because wind and dust
entangle them.
Many others.
Little gods and goddesses, little princesses and avatars
of grandmothers and grandfathers who through them talk again,
think again,
sing again.
Because death does not exist and we are the ring
of a chain,
of a vision that is passed on to us,
from generation to generation and no one ever jumps,
not even those who rebel and change their lives,
not even those who chase and find luck far away.
Legends are born,
when they don't come back one evening ... continues

By Laura Fusco

Translated by the author and Alan Dent

Original poem from Laura Fusco’s Elle, Unicite, 2024.

Read a review of Laura Fusco’s earlier books in English here.

---

Laura Fusco is a poet, performer, director, translated/represented/published in Europe, UK and the US. She is considered one of the most original and visionary voices of oral poetry. She performs readings and conceives shows, combining poetry with music, dance, drama and visual art, invited by the main international Music, Dance, Film and Literature Festivals and Museums. Her texts are published and/or studied at universities as well as in conservatories of music in Europe and US. She has supported several campaigns for the defence of environment and woman’s rights. Between her collections: Da da da, ballads about jazz prefaced by Paolo Conte, Liminal, winner of English Translates PEN Award, Nadir, prefaced by Philippe Claudel.

---

Alan Dent is a novelist, poet, editor, translator and critic. He has published twelve novels, six volumes of short stories, five books of poetry and six volumes of translations from French to English. He founded and edited the Penniless Press and its successor Mqb. He has also published a study of the plays of Joe Orton, Entertaining hypocrites and a collection of reviews of contemporary poetry, Too much toothache.

---

Photo by Lisa Kalloo

---

Check out the Poetry Travels book list on bookshop.org.

---

Read previous poems in the Poetry Travels series:

SCATTERED by Floriana Ferro, translated by the author

OX AND MANDARIN // A COMPENDIUM by Milla van der Have

ROYAL PEACOCK by Veroniki Dalakoura, translated by John Taylor

SNAKE DEATHS by Monika Herceg, translated by Marina Veverec

ON THE WAY TO THE SHOP by Marija Dejanović, translated by Vesna Maric

*** (MY LOVE, YOU SAID YOU WERE A WOLF) by Ruzanna Voskanyan, translated by Nieri Avanessian

RED ZONE by Iryna Tsilyk, translated by Vitaly Chernetsky

THE SPIDER by Danae Sioziou, translated by Panagiotis Kechagias and Mania Meziti

UNTITLED by Johanna Venho, translated by Anselm Hollo

THE KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING by Eleni Cay, translated by the Author

ALIBI by Ewa Brzoza Birk, translated by Anna Blasiak

PATIENCE by Ziba Kirbassi, translated by Stephen Watts

HARLEQUIN by Arjola Zadrima, translated by Vlora Konushevci

SIRENS by Victoria Amelina, translated by Anatoly Kudryavitsky

JOB: A WOMAN by Dominika Lewicka-Klucznik, translated by Anna Blasiak

BAGS by Blerina Rogova Gaxha, translated by Vlora Konushevci

TONGUEFISH by Yolanda Castaño, translated by Keith Payne

WHAT DO YOU NEED by Friederike Mayröcker, translated by Christina Daub

A WORK OF BIOGRAPHY by Max Jacob, translated by Ian Seed

UNTITLED POEM by Ivano Fermini, translated by Ian Seed

AGAINST TRAVEL. FOR DANA by Rachel Levitsky

LIGHT by Vasyl Makhno, translated by Olena Jennings

A MESSAGE FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT by Wioletta Greg, translated by Maria Jastrzębska and Anna Blasiak

HOME by Nataša Sardžoska, translated by the Author

ONLY THE BEGINNING COUNTS (4) by Jan Baeke, translated by Antoinette Fawcett

*** (RABID WINDS) by Gerður Kristný, translated by Rory McTurk

ANSWER TO THE PRAYERS by Vainius Bakas, translated by Kerry Shawn Keys

AGGRESSOR’S MONOLOGUE by Artūras Valionis, translated by Jura Avizienis

THAT’S ALL by Jurgita Jasponytė, translated by Jura Avizienis

UNTITLED by Linas Umbrasas, translated by Audra Skukauskaitė

FIRST SPRING OF THE WAR by Vytautas Kaziela, translated by Jura Avizienis

A LETTER TO A CHILD by Lina Buidavičiutė, translated by Ada Valaitis

UNTITLED by Aneta Kamińska, translated by Anna Blasiak

TWO LYRICS OF LOVE AND MEMORY by Lina Kostenko, translated by Stephen Komarnyckyj

CROW STUDY by Yuri Andrukhovych, translated by John Hennessy and Ostap Kin

UNTITLED POEM by Serhiy Zhadan, translated by John Hennessy and Ostap Kin

UNTITLED POEM by Ludmila Khersonsky, translated by Maya Chhabra

UNTITLED POEM by Iryna Vikyrchak

From THE ANDROMEDA NEBULA by Anna Gréki, translated by Souheila Haïmiche and Cristina Viti

TEAPOT by Nurduran Duman, translated by Andrew Wessels

IT’S COMING AGAIN by Michael Strunge, translated by Paul Russell Garrett

REPORT FROM ANOTHER CITY by Marcin Niewirowicz, translated by the Author

INTERIOR by Ana Blandiana, translated by Paul Scott Derrick and Viorica Patea

THIS IS LOVE by Joanna Fligiel, translated by Anna Blasiak

REVELATION IN H&M by Menno Wigman, translated by David Colmer

*** (I WANT TO FOLD THIS DAY) by Inga Pizāne, translated by Jayde Will

THE SIEGE by Marcin Świetlicki, translated by Elżbieta Wójcik-Leese

FISH by Jana Putrle Srdić, translated by Barbara Jurša

THE WELL by Maarja Pärtna, translated by Jayde Will

THE SHADOW by Pentti Saarikoski, translated by Emily Jeremiah and Fleur Jeremiah

A FAREWELL TO MY DEAD CLASS by Irit Amiel, translated by Anna Blasiak and Marta Dziurosz

THE GIRLS IN BERGEN-BELSEN by Nora Gomringer, translated by Annie Rutherford

DECEMBER, by Jaume Subirana, translated by Christopher Whyte

ROSE RED, by Ulrike Almut Sandig, translated by Karen Leeder

*** (I D[R]IPPED MY PEN…) by Mario Martín Gijón, translated by Terence Dooley

WHAT COMES by Magda Cârneci, translated by Adam J. Sorkin and Mădălina Bănucu

TRANSLATION by Justyna Bargielska, translated by Maria Jastrzębska

*** (MY EYES, DENSE NIGHT…) by Gëzim Hajdari, translated by Ian Seed