A poem for the new year

from the Occitan of Ives Roqueta

 YOU SAID

The night is long, here
you said
Winter doesn't end
you said
Shame holds us down, you said
You said, you said, and others
Have risen up who said
We have no need of light
out of anywhere else
than the deepest of the belly
the seasons
are sweepings from the almanach
and there's nothing on earth
but the weather we make there
Dark we are and cold and proud
like the knife within the wound
We are ready  Reason yes
and Understanding yes
and daring
yes and to be born

from the Occitan of Ives Roqueta. Translated by Paul Werner

WOID XXIV-29

January 1, 2025