iibookwormsposts-blog

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Haitians and the politics of recognition

Hi all! This is my most recent article published in the diaspora column of Stabroek News. Feel free to comment your thoughts on it. Have a nice week!

As I sit down to write this, it has just been announced that the humanitarian parole program, which allowed Haitians to enter the United States over the past two years, will not be renewed. This means that starting in January 2025, hundreds of thousands of Haitians, along with Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and Cubans, will face the threat of deportation unless they can find alternative legal means to…

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To Viola

In the closing scene of the fourth episode of How to Get Away with Murder, Viola Davis' character Annalise Keating removes her wig, eyelashes and wipes away her makeup, staring at herself in the mirror. This powerful scene has stayed with me ever since...

To Viola, As I write these lines, Shame courses through my veins, Clawing beneath my skin Sending my heart into a frenzied dance How do I articulate the sensation Of witnessing your revelation? Bare. You stood before us Stripped of the armor The façade we so carefully craft It felt like stumbling upon A hidden wound A stranger’s nakedness, The discomfort, the shock Of recognizing…

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A "scholasticide" has been happening in Haiti

I published my first piece for the diaspora column of Stabroek news, a Guyanese newspaper. In it, I talked of the systemic destruction of education in Haiti, driven not only by recent gang attacks on schools but also by a history of social inequality.

Check out the article here

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A poem is an omen

Two poems speaking to each other over 2 years Nothing hurts more than losing one's home

Two poems speaking to each other over 2 years April 28, 2022 Aren’t you happy? To be here among riches To fall asleep knowing that tomorrow You can get just what you crave You can jump on a train And find yourself miles away Get on and off planes Get a coffee Attend a concert Feel the pressure of moving At each coming holiday Because why would you limit yourself When nothing limits…

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De la nécessité de mettre les sciences humaines au service du développement d’Haïti

Reprenant un texte initialement publié en 2017, je suis surprise de constater à quel point mes réflexions, bien que mûries, restent ancrées dans les mêmes préoccupations, notamment sur la nécessité de la remise en question des modèles de développement...

Initially published here on December 1st, 2017 En ce 21ème siècle, chacun a au moins une petite idée vraie ou fausse sur ce que sont les sciences humaines. A travers le monde, elles sont souvent considérées à la fois comme très prestigieuses mais aussi comme des tergiversations inutiles. Par année, on dispose presque dix fois plus de fonds pour des recherches en sciences naturelles en génies et…

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Innocence

Dear Subscribers, Get ready to embark on an emotional journey of self-discovery with this latest short story release that explores the theme of lost innocence in a world filled with silences and expectations. TW: Masturbation, familial violence, slurs

Tay looked up at the clock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock, it went. Grounding her in her new reality. There had been a breach, she knew that. Knew that the time to come would bear no resemblance with what preceded. Her world had been shaken to its foundations, the pillars of her existence had crumbled down into rubbles on top of which she was forced to kneel down, bracing herself for the aftershocks. No…

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CARREFOUR-FEUILLES WIL NOT FALL

My recent trip to Brazil confronted me with the fact that when I was there last August, I received news that gangs had invaded Carrefour-Feuilles, my childhood neighborhood, forcing my family to leave. It took me a while to be able to write about this...

“If things turn sour, continue to live for us both. I love you, sis.” Source: RTVC I woke up in São Paulo to this heart-wrenching message on August 13th, 2023. In that instant, my world completely shattered, and I have struggled ever since to keep its pieces together. My eyes welled up with tears as I began wailing uncontrollably, my heart racing faster than I ever thought possible. Her voice.…

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M pa gen cheve

Hi everyone! It's been a while. This one is quite personal. It's my first try writing in my mother tongue Haitian Creole. A loose translation in English can be found below😊

Mpa gen cheve Cheve m kannèl Cheve m pa bèl M toujou tande moun ap di Yo di si cheve m te bat anba dèyè M tap telman fyè Se tèt anlè m tap mache Eske sa vle di m oblije rete tèt bese Eske m oblije chanje Eske fom rayi moun mwen ye Paske gen moun ki panse m te ka mye Cheve swa se bote Yo toujou di Lè l lage sou do w, li leve figi w Kiyes ki pa anvi bèl Ki pa ta anvi moun di l…

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Anchorage

Teenage me was so cheesy but love is timeless...❤

You speak You laugh I look at you There’s nothing else in this world But your laughter breaching the silence And your voice playing along The frenzied beating Of my heart I look at you And I laugh too Life is sweet I tell myself It is when you speak It is every time I see you I feel like singing But I only have sheets to fill To overflow with every moment near you Stolen from…

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Is it me?

You can also follow me on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJ4kP125/

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You whom I love

Gloomy day here in Ghent. Hope the sun shines brighter where you are...

You whom I love Whom I love as The best part of me You whose love Leaves me unsteady I only dream of being guilty Of your happiness As you are of my weakness To love you every day A little more A little stronger I dream of seeing the sun Rise in your eyes And your gaze saying The desire to have me Closer and closer, Blending into your skin So that our nights Have a taste of…

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We were young

Hello! I know I haven't posted in a while but the blog is still alive and well and hopefully I can go back to posting more often. Take care!

We were youngBut we knew lifeOr thought we didSince our eyes were so fullOf the places we’d beenOf the things we’d seenWe came from all overSome of our worlds had coloursDances and smellsThat others called exoticWorlds of needs and ironic beautyOthers had known holidays awayCities of light, towns of family landsSecondary houses with sunny terracesOthers had built somethingA home, a careerAn…

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Aren't you happy (French-English version)

I took part to my second open mic night recently. I first recited “Pénélope” by Maram al-Masri then a bilingual version of my poem “Aren’t you happy”. There’s something really powerful about reading your own poem in public. I will try that again for sure!

Links to the open mic event: Penelope: link 1 link 2 Aren’t you happy (live): link 1 link 2 N’es-tu pas contente  D’être ici au milieu des richesses De te coucher Sûre que demain Tu peux avoir tout ce que tu veux Tu peux sauter dans un train Et te retrouver loin Prendre l’avion Prendre un café Aller à un concert Sentir l’appel du large  À l’approche de chaque fête Car pourquoi te…

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Writing challenge: Day 3

Writing challenge: Day 3

Tess fell in love that day. It came like a storm sweeping her away in its breath after years of fearing that she might never find the courage to take the leap and fall again. Because you have to fall first to be able to soar and appreciate the new skies that you reach. But her heart had been broken one too many times. By men who treated her like she was disposable. Men who wanted everything from…

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Writing challenge: Day 2

What impression you get from reading me? What are three things you like about your own writing?

Three things I love about my writing I love how simple yet powerful my writing can be (I have sometimes felt bad about it but came to realize that there is beauty in simplicity. And anyway, it’s my personal style and I love it) I love that it can resonate with people, make them laugh, think or it can just get a conversation started I love how capricious it can be (When months go by without me…

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Qui veut essayer ce challenge avec moi?

Who wants to try this challenge with me?

En anglais ou en français 🙂

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It's all falling apart

Speed writing at the Hyster-x writing residence on August 6th, 2022

I could tell you But what? There are no words No images to evoke No ligns to trace Nothing but threads Nothing but noise Maybe time will tell But I don’t know Sometimes I love you Most times I don’t Or I do But it’s a shadow Echo of the past Reflection on a mirror I can’t touch it I can’t touch you It’s all falling apart Magdalée Brunache Speed writing at the Hyster-x writing…