Two pending things

One is for Cristina R, and it seems other people might be interested. I bought the Bedtime stories here. It’s got a 50% discount now. With shipping it’d be about 15 euros, without it’s 9 pounds, about 10 euros.

This one is for Romina and Desi, but you might be interested. It’s a poem I wrote when the heirs of June Jordan’s told me I could not share my translation of one of her poems and articles on mujerpalabra.net unless I paid them some money. I had written to them to offer them what I thought was a present, because the author is amazing and she’s not been translated into Spanish. When I explained why I thought they should not do that, they told me I was barking up the wrong tree, so I wrote this:

Mr Wrong Tree (copyright repression)

ARTISTS: PROTECT YOUR WORK FROM HEIRS

Mr Wrong Tree,

I’m not barking
I’m communicating
It’s called ‘dialog’
It comes from caring
It’s wholly human
Sorry it’s so disturbing

Human, not like the money
you’re asking for: Ugly,
for all the rights it kills
for all the love it denies
for all the crimes it makes up

Hope you earn a living using her words
Your rights more vital than her work
for humanity — after all, you’re still alive

Still, we’ll mourn the silence you impose
and cry against it — and hope she survives
your suffocating love and protection
Your murderous enforcement of law & order, Mr Wrong