No language for white man

by Lou Garcia-Dolnik

 

The young

sit eir fresia in bottom yard where it bloom

best. Feline in mangifera where e move best.

So much living in pastime, riverbank where kindred

set it down best. That no language for white man. 

 

Sitting coat up on stick for scare way bird-pulse

not for white man. Holy city rice terrace 

stretch green into no white land. Hanglow breadfruit 

beckon for tell e truth to my problem. All country say

solution to my problem.

 

Living in it rhythm, burn fruit of coconut tree for

brown hand. But that no language for white man.

 

Sand stretch sensory above eyefrontier. Tinikling

tap history on coconut floorboard. Visayas

break bread with xeir departures. All that, Country, 

sing no language of white man. 

 

Country, tell with durian tree what your problem. 

Country point with thick lip to beachbank for my

problem. Kid sing loud leron sinta for my problem.

All country, say your solution for my problem.

 

Tita with pearl earring fasten to rubberskin for my

problem. Lolo listen softly to bandila for my problem.

Lola make pansit with calamansi, all lemon and 

kikkoman for my problem. No whiteword salt 

enough for my problem. 

 

No white language

pumice enough for my problem. No white language 

poorandbrown enough for my problem. No white 

language brown for country enough. No country

blacknbrown without white enough. No country

have language for white man enough. No country 

for white man ever enough.

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