RIP Aimé Césaire

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"Partir.
Comme il y a des hommes-hyènes et des hommes-
panthères, je serais un homme-juif
un homme-cafre
un homme-hindou-de-Calcutta
un homme-de-Harlem-qui-ne-vote-pas

l'homme-famine, l'homme-insulte, l'homme-torture
on pouvait à n'importe quel moment le saisir le rouer
de coups, le tuer - parfaitement le tuer - sans avoir
de compte à rendre à personne sans avoir d'excuses à présenter à personne
un homme-juif
un homme-pogrom
un chiot
un mendigot

mais est-ce qu'on tue le Remords, beau comme la
face de stupeur d'une dame anglaise qui trouverait
dans sa soupière un crâne de Hottentot?"

Michael White, Thursday, 17 April 2008 16:20 (seventeen years ago)

Easy for you to say.

James Morrison, Thursday, 17 April 2008 23:00 (seventeen years ago)

He might be going to the Le Panthéon.

Michael White, Friday, 18 April 2008 21:59 (seventeen years ago)

"the le" lol

Michael White, Friday, 18 April 2008 22:04 (seventeen years ago)

Seriously, though, have been looking him up from this thread and now want to read his stuff. Any hints on good English versions?

James Morrison, Saturday, 19 April 2008 02:01 (seventeen years ago)

I'm pretty sure I read a poem of his (possibly the one M. White quotes?) in Poets for the Millennium and liked it.

Casuistry, Saturday, 19 April 2008 05:21 (seventeen years ago)


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