Africa... My Africa. (A bilingual poetry collection in English and Polish) by Simon Mol. VERBINUM (Wydawnictwo Księży Werbistów, Warsaw 2002)
By Alexander Nawrocki, Editor, Poezja Dzisiaj
I came across the poems of African poet Simon, written in English by chance and after reading a few lines of one of his pieces, I understood that I was dealing with an outstanding poet. Only an artist who is conscious of his own possibilities could write, "I am as old as the sun and as young as yesterday." Within this single sentence Simon has captured the many faces of the magical and heroic continent of Africa, a land with its own culture and a civilisation which reaches much farther into antiquity than that of Europe.
Simon tells of an Africa seeking its own identity and in conflict with modern civilisation, a sleeping giant that may contain its own hope for the future.
The poet appeals to the tradition of the dark continent and the gods, mages and spirits which are honoured there. He is an „African eye“ which "struggles to see itself.“ It is good that Simon's poetry is beginning to bear fruit in our country since great literature is the syntheses of many cultures, like the work of Mickiewicz or Slowacki. It is also promising that Simon has plugged into the culture and traditions of Poland and has begun to experience them first-hand. This influence is visible in his poem about Poland and another titled "Bogini Polska“ (Polish Goddess) in which „her diamond eyes were inscribed with the tale of Africa.“ This heartfelt image joins two homelands in the eyes of one woman. For this reason we are pleased that this talented African poet has found his second home in our country and that our readers have discovered his work. This was clear at the second annual World Poetry Day sponsored by UNESCO and organised by the editors of Poetry Today, during which Simon won the affection of the Polish public.
REVIEW by the WARSAW VOICE
A collection of 22 poems in English and Polish by Simon Mol (also a Voice correspondent) tells a story of survival in a poetry that summarizes the author's experience, both objective and subjective as well as his vision and cultural impetus against the backdrop of exile in Poland. As two cultures, i.e. African and Polish co-mingle in the poet's imagination, despair and hope also merge, sparking a message that „behind the claws of injustice and seeming obliteration floats a promise beyond human destruction.“ One is captured by the poet's ability to evoke concrete imagery from imagination. „When your eyes are closed, You are Absolute.“ In the words of the translator Edward Osiecki: "Reading Simon's poetry is an adventure. Caged birds do not sing. It is awesome indeed to see such a bird singing, and Simon in this case sings in an extraordinary style that deserves recognition."
The influence of the author's African roots is strongly felt throughout the book, with a thread that helps to focus the reader's imagination. The clarity of this is felt from the first poem Efasa Moto, to the very last Suwelele Nkeiruka. Quoting from the introduction by Aleksander Nawrocki (Editor, Poezja Dzisiaj): „Great literature is the synthesis of many cultures. Through his poems Simon captures the many faces of the magical and heroic continent of Africa. The author tells of an Africa seeking its own identity. In one of the poems (Bogini Polska) he unites two homelands (African and Polish) in the eyes of one woman.“
The author, who hails from Cameroon, was forced to flee political persecution and has been living in Poland since 1999 after being granted asylum. He has been published in several anthologies and Africa My Africa is his first collection. The book may be purchased at The Warsaw Voice office, 64 Księcia Janusza St., the Institute of Developing Countries at Warsaw University, Casablanca Cafe, or by ordering directly from 0 603 434 930.
Africa... My Africa. (A bilingual poetry collection in English and Polish) by Simon Mol. VERBINUM (Wydawnictwo Księży Werbistów, Warsaw 2002)
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