Poetry in Motion, Day 31 (May Bonus, Edward Field, trans.)

As the day waned, I felt helpless. No Poetry in Motion posters left to post. What would I do? I found the piece about Rolling Stone below, but it didn't sate my need for one last run around the poetry bases.

So, I cheat a little. Take a peek:


It's not a poster, but a postcard from the Poetry in Motion Postcard Book. This card was inscribed to me by the poet Edward Field, who translated "Magic Words" from the Inuit.

Magic Words

after Nalungiaq


In the very earliest time,
when both people and animals lived on earth,
a person could become an animal if he wanted to and an animal could become a human being.
Sometimes they were people
and sometimes animals
and there was no difference.
All spoke the same language.
That was the time when words were like magic.
The human mind had mysterious powers.
A word spoken by chance
might have strange consequences.
It would suddenly come alive
and what people wanted to happen could happen—
all you had to do was say it.
Nobody could explain this:
That's the way it was.


Translated from the Inuit by Edward Field

Go here to see Day 30 and links to all previous April Poetry in Motion postings.