ventus - jason zuzga

Ventus

C_Ventus_clifford 7/2/08 2:23 PM Page 77

Philip, M. NourbeSe, and M. NourbeSe Philip. Zong!, Wesleyan University Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/upenn-ebooks/detail.action?docID=805141.Created from upenn-ebooks on 2020-03-27 23:05:05.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

The poet is the detective and the detective a poet.

thomas more



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

sh hnot so

loud did nt the bell ring ohoh my

asshot apes

all sing singthey sang le sang el

song le song singagain my goat bag of

palm winedance dance they sing my

asslips gape oh oh sad tune

sing again they groan notso loud

when did we decide desire le sangpain oh oh

they ma ma maiwith no

notes tears theysit moi je am they

lieover them

the sun sow the sevenseas

with aves of am& ash sing him oba

him ask tiki tiki

fo me the ship heavessing i say to

&fro groans

the oba sobs again the din of myown my very

own dyingnegroes a pint

of gin the candle flame s and a heyhey ho once an

amdied dead

79



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

in its sconcehe had an

ace dear ruth can a tale be

toldever

i held a sequenceof

queensone

kingtsuh chu

icome

fromthe north the

dales landof mist

of hoar frostdear ruth

there isus

&os

there is bone why does thea secret race under shin bone shine so ruth

writers lives of writ s& rent s cede

the truthto the right

to be surethis is but

an orationa tale

there is ruse oldin insure as

sin isnew

circethe crone

lipsa gape

sings a

did we decide tuneit rains writ s

80



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

piss & bileto the right ran pus

the truth& sin to be sure

tearsrum

&why are we here

&where are

we we ac\ © par\ bu\ rationdance © facts

dancedance

i saythey sit

they liei

captain their pain wind

strum s the airhe strums the oud

the shipcradles our longing

our lust ourloss all

that is old in thisnew age

the time the date of

sinclara

that tune again the air it calms me

but thenthe drum s

ohthe drum s

all night they prayfor death

shout lisalisa

dearruth if

ora a taleora be told

81



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

ora coldpray for me

& heave menheave and

passthe peas ignore

the pleas omiomi

l eau l eau

water clairthe

soundof the oud

rouse s methe

air isdanger ous

with drum

soundi hear them

words strangeto my

ear the oba smileshe has owó

guineascedis too i have

guinea negroesthey

shedtears

for ifá ósun

&ógún

forefun

forèsú

ask forame

fromolú

his eyesrage

82



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

wouldbring mi

me runto death from

if field dehe man in de hat

could demshe died cam fo mi

on a tide himof red fun fun

up river me odewhere

we dare efunour mortality by the

desire tailat dawn on the run

if if if onlyifà

was yak yakyak yak

yam pleasmy

ownshe

negrothe

wonderof it

a dowergift for

yougrain

in thefield sun

overheadin

yourhair

gold ascorn first

act third scenecirce argues with eve

about eden on the eveof murder

rome mournsher

83



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

misfortuneher

morther

p tit mortturns

fromruins

of fortsand fortunes

tofound

acity

ondeath

onmurder circe

to evethere is no writ in sand

evidence of eden lives rentin eve eve to circe lives

i am circe the seer

sings a tune a sad tune with no no

tes moi je am heam she

am at last omi waterl eau l eau

il doge wears a hat it is red as is

his cape upand

down up anddown the wind

rose bailbail & bail

water water thewind rose is wet

nohelp omi

omi omi underwind & up

wind we sailwith every

84

C_Ventus_clifford 7/2/08 2:23 PM 4


Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

wind create a cat s cradle on the sea sing te

deum s the bellsthe bells ding ding

and dong overthe water done done deed done died

done dead

there is fresh fish no waterrush rush feet

guns run redrun dear lisa

dave ask s this is butan oration he ask s that i

these words come that i write from his lips

though my hand shapes whyare we here dear

clair iwrite this

forsam who

is by

myside

there was ague on

boardpus

too dear evepiet says he longs

dear evadavenport i fear

the news isnot good

today at tenat four at

six & atseven my hand

writeswe seal the deal the sale of

negroeson board the

sailslap slap in

85



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

the windsome

come from the fensothers from the dales

and the faroJ of

africa i want a hat of

fur for youruth shine the

negroes for sale the wigw ogs the nig

nogs getthe tongs the

irons hothot sing

sing a song of

sin sucha

dinsuch

a dingding dong

singhe sang

ba baiya

mmama ma

theraw

sea somerush

nothing buta raft

my once queennow slave there be

no free onboard

underwriters

tireof writs

writ finewith sin

86



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

m lordthe

questions canwe

sin withinthe law

can thelaw

sin sailwest

then easteast

then westin the hang

ofwhen did we rope theredecide exists

kofi a spanof pain

suchthat

thepoet of

the tropethat is

troy cannot own

but there isproperty i

sayin

popein

troy inrome

innegro

inguns

bam bamour eyes

skim the sea forbodie s for the law in ius in

us inos in bone how

many

87



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

did you didi how

many did wesir what

say you no aqueen

once nowmy

whore to the crewtoo

are we but bonemen

without

souls seed to

the ever inus the

story waitscan not be

toldthe oba

sobsagain act

scene m lordsays the law

is neverwrong can never

sin the negroasks that i

writea

most uncommon negro he hopes to re

gain africaone day his na

me is wale he wants thatthey should wait

for him my eyes rest where the seais a line a lace cap

& red capewith fur

for my once& nonce queen

my shenegro make the mast

88



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

teak men forflag nation

king & pope seek the eyes hold the hands tie the feet

the cutran from eye to

ear dear miss circe hans writes

i ask for your hand peterpiet writes to miss clara ted

to miss tara asif toum jon roy

& ned tom timalf & jim

mike & dave my crew

matesall

a mob rum gin beer &cider

there was grinand gin a fortune in forts abena

gin and adwoa & dangergrin round & round fifi

the globe we sail the sun sorb to lead us if

we can only gain the island circe

the seerpants

waitstempts with

oraclesa trail of feet

in the sandleads

to the water amost un

common negro youtake

pen youwrite

tomy sade i

play a ruse onhim

89



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

a trail oflies

lead to my truth tame the rage dance

dancei say act

scene mypart is set

bring me mycape my

mask my pastclap

clap iplay captain

pope &king i play

godbut

he s got the clap clapmen clap too

limpto

tup her doyou take

this negro to bey our slave we

make goodtime the wind

iswith us

a secret race

wediJer

arewe

mador

merely menwithout

maps in anage

wheretruth is rare and

we dem cam fo medare de man in de fez

90



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

not hiseyes a

his eyes secretrage race

adzo withama a tasteesi for the she

negro & port pus& ague they

faint sam has a doseof the clap too

and fine lacefor his

lady flip her over & overboard was

a red dawnthey

were drawndown

warda re

ed for aird

owndo

wn down down

waterdrag s

againstthe grain

no airin vain

then theywere

evergone

divers pourles âmes

nig les souls nig

nognag

nagpleas

air

91



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

freshair omi

water the hag

circe makes a ring

of stones in the sandher o

mens have nosong

orsound they sing

ofthe

pactof pain

between

cain & abelbet

weenma

n&

g od theysing they

dance i missthe city

ruthtro odu

a pint foof me

beer omi se o oreyou

say ma rk them

yeslet s

their eyesstare

such fine linen

my lordfor you

for herbod y not

for me

92



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

for hermy

noncemy

oncequeen

the truth

inher

eyescirce

waitslips hang

make s fun

oferos

of us&

ius makespigs of

us bail

bailif

you re ableor abel

danand

samsaw

itwe

allsaw it why does the oba sob

all dayit ran

raini

longfor man

y mannegroes

shenegroes

too

93



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

for salefon

ewesan

lua & radapla

y manp

layit s

an old

tunestrum

itfor

meall

daya

tubof wa

terto

sharelet us

clairejust

us justus

&ius

slipy our lips

over thesewords

an other manwrites

in thesack

oftroy the

rageof men

livesthe

poet

94



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

writeswaits

forthe

pastto

partfor the

red seafor the

nationinter pares

for thecity

ofg od

with nogo d spare

uspater mon

pèrethe truth

ru th clair ro

seev

e e vacla ra sa

raco ra ma

ry etcall

wait& wait

andwait

& waitfor a

shipto

bringtheir

mento

them dem cam fo miscent

of

95



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

cunt &ruth he

dove shedove

theydove omi

omi omioh my go

d theywere go ne

the negroes

ever clairethe dove cote

wherethe doves

nestrow

row slavessave the

boat theslaves pig

got got niggot got in

eden s airdeer and

lion cubwill lie

onewith

theother we

will sailto the

end to edenmy doe

eye d queenonce

&nonce

nowslave

ruthread

this sirei will rise

96



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

risesay the

aves &salves the

meas&

culpa s praypour

les âmes forles

souls of the

slaves&

my owntie the

ram agbo masterto the agbo for

mast men orimon

âme monâme mo

namemy

name we

sailedup

thecunt of

africa tofound

anout

casterace

can tyou add

a marketwaits

it fans thedeed s alms

forthe poet of

troyfor

97



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

the poet ofthe past

it partsinto then

&now come

strum thelute

a songfor clara

& clair forruth and

sarahow many

did i didyou did we

they druma

rude sound howthey dance

alwaysseek the

eyesthe bard mourns

piss bileshit

and dung myliege lord of

life of death aide

moi aide mo i aid

e m oi throdance odu

dance fo medance omi se o ore

j ai faim ma rk them mark them mark dem j ai

faim jai soif dindin

dong dungdon din

din don don dingding

dong done

98



Cop

yrig

ht ©

200

8. W

esle

yan

Uni

vers

ity P

ress

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

ventus - jason zuzga

Documents