to anōnumos [A Poetry Prompt]

In the New York Times, Elisa Gabbert writes about Alice Notley’s new book, For the Ride (Penguin Poets, 2020), which takes place in a world where most of the civilization — and therefore language — has been destroyed. “Because language is broken, the verse is intentionally awkward, as though carelessly translated: ‘glyph doth include the real air? / yes, including vraiment the other air.’ Words from French and Spanish are peppered in, while others are cut off (‘lying togeth, floor of hypermarket in afterli’) or smashed together (‘playtoyswords’), creating unresolvable ambiguities.”

This is a poem that uses words that are cut off, smashed together, or borrows from other languages in a way that opens up the possibilities of meaning. How do you provide guidance through the ambiguity or confusion?

civilization — and therefore language — has been destroyed

to anōnumos

if thou find this

iam yang alone

langue unknown

word broken

imake better word

find new meaning

fesse no one here

to talk

iwrit to thee

to anōnumos

here is spiel of my day

laimun is light

hot air kyss my dry lip

ia brat

eat koekie

sitting on broken patio

no fartplan

no place to go

yang today

yang tomorr

yang ever

some time

there is tentation

fesse itake no gift

ifill with jijivisha

ilive

sosomeday

imeet you

brav fiend

namaste

Guide:

• Elizabethan English: The first person — I, me, my, and mine — remains basically the same. The second-person singular (you, your, yours), however, is translated like: “Thou” for “you” (nominative, as in “Thou hast risen.”), “Thee” for “you” (objective, as in “I give this to thee.”)
• Yin and yang, in English, these words are used to represent any opposites.
• The French word fesse is pronounced similar to face but it means…butt.
• anonymous’ comes from the Greek word ‘anōnumos’. in English it means, something or someone without a name. In Greek, it means someone who does not reveal their identity.
• Spiel, in Yiddish (and German), can mean “play.”
• Lemon is called ‘Laimun’ in Arabic, defined simply as a yellow citrus fruit.
• kyss or kussen, which means to kiss or touch with lips. They still spell it with a y in Sweden. However, when its spelled with an i over there, kiss can translate to another common noun that has absolutely nothing to do with kissing: urine.
• Brat is a Russian word for brother.
• ‘Cookie’ is derived from the Dutch term ‘Koekie’
• In Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, fart is the word for speed or moving objects. Fartplan means schedule.
• Tentation in French means temptation
• The English word ”gift” means ”poison” in German and Norwegian.
• Swedes use the word bra to mean good.
• Jijivisha, in Hindi, means the intense desire to live and to continue living.
• Namaste in Hindi means Goodbye.

Translation:

to anonymous

if you find this

it means i am not alone

languages are unknown

words are broken

i am trying to make better words

to find new meaning

but no one is here

i have no one to talk to

therefore, i write to you

someone anonymous

to narrate to you a play about my day

the sun is lit

the warm air kissing my dry lips

i, your brother

am eating a cookie

seated on a broken patio

there is no schedule

there is no place to go

not today

not tomorrow

not ever

sometimes

there is temptation

but i will not take the poison

for i am filled with a desire to live

so i can someday

meet you

my good friend

goodbye