Desire Poems by Women Poets
Taking thematic inspiration from Diana Bellessi’s book ‘To Love A Woman’ this week’s podcast plays you four poems about desire written by female poets.
All podcasts featuring Clare Pollard
Nature Poetry and The Climate Emergency
In the shadow of the climate emergency poems about the natural world take on a new significance, poems by Bejan Matur, Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf and Yu Yoyo.
Black History Month Podcast
For Black History Month, listen to two poems from the PTC Archive: ‘Taste’ by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf and ‘He Tells Tales of Meroe’ by Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi,
A Shout by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Listen to ‘A Shout’ by leading Somali poet Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf, translated by Said Jama Hussein, Maxamed Xasan ‘Alto’ and the UK poet Clare Pollard.
The Scab by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Listen to ‘The Scab’ by Somali poet Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf, from her award-winning collection ‘The Sea-Migrations, Translated by UK poet Clare Pollard.
Recollection by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Listen to ‘Recollection’ by the Somali poet Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf. The poem is read first in English translation by Clare Pollard and then in Somali by Caasha herself.
Our Land by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf‘s ‘Our land’ is a classic ‘pastoral’ poem, nostalgic for the beauty and harmony of the Somali countryside. Translated by Clare Pollard Asha Lul’s longtime collaborator.
The Mark by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
‘The Mark’ by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is addressed directly to the men ruling of Somalia / Somaliland, urging them to find peace, to bring clans together and to raise the country up.
Beloved by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Beloved by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is a passionate love poem! It is a jiifto, one of the many Metric forms of Somali poetry made up of short lines.
‘Taste’ by Asha Lul Mohamad Yusuf
This poem is called ‘Taste’ by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf from Somalia/Somaliland. The poem is read first in English translation by Clare Pollard and then in Somali by Asha.
Taste by Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf
Listen to ‘Taste’ by Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf and read how working on these translations made her poet translator Clare Pollard want to ’ tear up a lot of mainstream English poetry’s ‘rules’