Poems in the Twanniż language, rescued from the dead, deleted novel Radju Rokku.

Bit-Twanniż - Στα τουανέζικα - In twannese

KALÓ MÍNA

Καλό μήνα, happy month

In Greco-Maltese
happy tunnel

En greco-español
happy pencil lead

In greco-italiano
happy parole parole parole
ancora ancora ancora
(l’importante è finire)

In Twanniż
all of the above
scribbled or sung
in silence



Kaló mína

EPIRUS RABBIT ALLA MALTESE

Wait a month and a half
for one ħasapi or another
to import two rabbits from Ioánnina
«Tin álli evdomáda!», next week
That‘s plenty of free bones
for Rokkinu to chew on 
in the bibliozampa 
during my elliniká lesson
every Monday

Freeze in the not-so-silent friġġ
(my friend the friġġifriġġ)
until little brother comes to visit

From Kostáki or Vasilikí
buy garlic, onion as red as in Malta,
καρότα, mangetout if you can‘t find
big fat piżelli,
kunserva, the Greek tomato paste
that throws you back to Qrendi ‘86
(before Gozitan industrialisation
with English brand names),
μάραθο, jiġifieri bużbież,
jiġifieri fennel, bulb and seeds,
and from the bush
right across the avlí
pull out a little φασκόμηλο,
which doesn’t mean “baby cloth apple”
but sage

Marinate, anzi bathe
the two kounélia
in Pános‘ homemade Itháki wine
with thyme and rożmarin
all night, all morning
Prepare the ingredients
as brother walks Rokku
to the Exogí pirámides and back
Ċopp ċopp ċopp
Fry all veġġ in kunserva
and giagiá Dionysía‘s olive oil
Brown meat slightly in a pan
three pieces at a time
and add to zalza
Pour in half the bath of wine
and a little hot water

A nice log has caught fire in the stófa
installed just in time
Bravu, fratellino
Bravi, twigs from Mármakas beach
Place borma atop stófa
and let fire and time 
do their invisible dance

Share fried liver with brother and Pablito
Share rabbit brain with Rokku outside
Greet the Orion Belt and cross
above the monopáti
and say grazzi
Look out towards a dark Mavronás
and sigh a sigh of non-so-ché 

Back inside, let the evening darken
in tandem with the zalza
Listen to Pablito snore on the desk
Listen to Rokku lapping water
Welcome the low-volume football commentary
the first since last summer
Man U are losing to Fulham
but the light steam from the stófa
smells so delicious
I am not bothered in the least

There is a reason why
nóstimo
the Greek word for delicious
shares the same root as
nostalġija

Match nearly over
1-1, but who cares
Open packet of linguine
add half to borma 
let fifteen minutes pass
and serve
as the football crowd chants

What‘s the score?
Football‘s a bore
unless it‘s my sticker collection
I‘ll pick up one day from Qrendi
or my mental health tracking league
Scudetto Francesco
ΛΠ Μικελίνα are top on goal difference
but today we‘re losing 6-0
to Tal-Kuppija FC
Tinnitus, back pain, a greedy pejx
who woke me way too early
but here comes a consolation goal
for the history books

Rokku, ej‘ ħa naqliblek!
Pablito, ejja ħa tieeekil!
A plate for my brother
a plate for me
white wine gifted from Şirince
u mangia mangia
Festa siekta
a silent feast
for two boys, two animals
four happy creatures
cleaning every little bone

Mmmmm
Ooooooo
Not quite as good 
as nanna’s Sunday fenek
(hare not rabbit)
yet closer to
tal-ostja
than passabbli

I don‘t miss my country
but I do miss the tongue
tongue as in lingwa
tongue as in village cuisine 

Tajjeb jew?
Any good? 
IL-madonna
IL-ħanina
Aaa Rokku mou
aaa Pablito Pablito
aaa ħija xi pjaċiiijjjr




Epirus rabbit alla maltese

HOW MANY PILLOWS

Πόσα μαξιλάρια
kemm-il imħadda
quanti cuscini
have been, will be
your back against my chest
welcoming light piano notes
on your piccola pancia
certamente chiave
di la maggiore
and a slow, deep 
first bacietto
of the last morning
behind your ώμος

The Έκτορας pillow case,
the green reading maxilári 
from the Melito-Greek village 
of Pérdika,
and now this non-descript
yet ever so soft
cuscino d’albergo in Kavoúri
and its salt-coated scent 
of a long
solitary night 

Rokku mou, ħu paċenzja,
we’ll go down for proinó soon
Last night’s white ink has dried
ħajku numru boqq 
has vanished
and I feel a little too blank
to start the day

One more breath of the pillow
one more arpeggio
di settima, di nona
No need to be ashamed
of hashimoto
it makes us both
a little warmer
to cuddle

A happy moan played
from memory 
and we’re a duet

If there were a next time
Rokku wagging his tail
would add light percussion 
at the edge of the bed

Did he ever meet you,
I sometimes wonder,
at Stathmós taverna
and rest his chin on your thigh

Did you ever feed him,
I wonder,
and rustle the fur
of his neck tie

One final bacio
under your chin
One more stretch 
Ejja Rokkinu
xawer, boiled eggs
u kafè

-- Radju Rokku, Book ζ, Κεφάλαιο Όγδοο

How many pillows

DERMATOLOGIST’S VACUUM 

Time to slice off the mole
I’ve been scratching since chemotherapy 
axed mamma way too early

«Αυτό θα είναι δυνατό»
This will be loud
Efharistó for the warning
otoaspídes in
eyes closed 
vvvvv
and now I’m on a plane
somewhere above Sicilia

Sinjuri
bdejna l-inżul lejn Malta
agħlqu l-mejda ta’ quddiemkom
tellgħu s-sit eċċetra eċċetra
I can’t put the seat up now
and that’s fine

Eyes closed but open
head straight but to the side
following the blu
(which is not the same
as blue)

Vvvvv
Any time now
San Dmitri or Delimara
will sink and lift 
my heart

Ix-xagħri
il-koppli
is-sejjieħ 
rocks domes rubble
and any time now
the jolt of the spine
the jolt of the lungs
kerosene, fennel and thyme

«Edáxi Adouán
étoimo»
Ídi? Already?
I didn’t feel anything 
I’m still travelling

The smell of burnt skin
A not completely welcome
silence
As the nurse applies the cream
I’m still airborne
barely a few metres 
above home



Dermatologist’s vacuum

Umberto Eco, ovvero A joke not told

Muffled ears

Entra Don Pablo

Ήσυχοι - Greek Lesson #250625

The moon is an almond

Καρτ-ερι-κότητα

Maltese poet, translator, editor
Author of Passaport, 40 Jum/Days et al.
www.antoinecassar.net

Librarian, publisher @ Bibliothíki Frangískos, Limourata, Itaca
www.bibliofran.org

Bit-Twanniż - Στα τουανέζικα - In twannese

Antoine Cassar