[I write on the planks]
[J'écris sur les planches]
Translated from French by
Nancy Naomi Carlson
Issue 28 Online Exclusive
I write on the planks
of the ship
I hear water
racking its brains
as it slices through spume.
And first I gave away
my flask,
and then I placed my head
in the sky
to forget my empty hands.
___
Original text: Torabully, Khal. “[J’écris sur les planches]” from Cale d’étoiles (Cargo Hold of Stars). Saint Denis, Reunion: Azalées Editions, 1992.

Translator
Nancy Naomi Carlson has received grants from the NEA and the Maryland State Arts Council, and has authored 3 books of poetry and 5 books of translations, including Hammer With No Master, translations of René Char, which was a finalist for the 2017 CLMP Firecracker Poetry Award. Her translation of Abdourahman Waberi’s poems was a finalist for the BTBA. Carlson’s work has appeared in such journals as APR, The Georgia Review, and Poetry. www.nancynaomicarlson.com