John-Peter Portelli

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DAL-BAĦAR

Dal-baħar

Nothing carries me or makes me carry an idea: not longing and not promise.
Mahmoud Darwish

jiena x’nagħmel mingħajr dan il-baħar
kajman u salvaġġ
mutu u għarriex ?

mingħajru
la xewqat u la wegħdiet

l-ikħal tiegħu
jiblagħni
u jobżoqni
fejn irid
meta jrid
kif irid

x’nagħmel mingħajr dan il-baħar ?

ikellimni kuljum
bi ħrara
ixewwaqni
u jwegħidni
dak li ma rridx
u dak li jiklibni
u joħromni

mingħajr dan il-baħar ?

mingħajru bla ħsieb
bla kliem
bla tbaqbiq
bla tqanqil

dan il-baħar?

ix-xejn tiegħu jeqridni
joqtolni

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Share a Light

About John-Peter Portelli

John P. Portelli is a Maltese-Canadian author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. Besides his academic publications, Portelli has published 8 collections of poetry, two collections of short stories and a novel. He has also co-edited two collections of contemporary Maltese poetry. His work has been translated into English, Italian, French, Arabic, Romanian, Farsi, Spanish, Turkish, Korean, and Ukranian. Six of his publications have been short-listed for the Malta National Literary Award.

Profile image: John-Peter Portelli