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Poem

Tagel Seifu

AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.

ፀጥ/አ/ጥታ

ፀጥ/አ/ጥታ

አብጃል ወይ ግድግዳው የቤትመፃፍቱ
የዚህ ቤት ፀጥታ ይከበር ማለቱ
በመደርደሪያው ላይ ጥራዝ በሰልፍ ሆኖ
ጩኸት ተጠርዞ ኡኡታ ታፍኖ
እንደ እኔ እግር ጥሎት የመጣው እንግጋ
ያንን ጥራዝ ገልጦ ፣ ጩኸት ሲያፈነዳ
ጆሮዬ እየሰማ ... ልቤ እየተረዳ
ምናል ባታብሉ ... ምናል ባትዋሹ
ከሌለበት ስፍራ ... ፀጥታን ባትሽ ....
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AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.

AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.
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