Qed Nipprova Niftaħ Għajnejja

A poem by Justin Galea.

Image: The Maltese are watching “SS Sydney” / Malta Migration Museum

 

Qed Nipprova Niftaħ Għajnejja

 

L-iżveljarin tal-mowbajl daqq.

Qed nipprova niftaħ għajnejja imma iebsa,

Mhux li kien nerġa’ mmur lura
għall-utopja ta’ bil-lejl
il-ħolma mhux mittiefsa

…

Nitfi l-iżveljarin. B’subgħajja nqalleb l-iscreen… ngħaddi naq’a l-ħin… nagħmel kafé u… biskuttin

…

Ġejja oħra minn nofsinhar…
‘ed jaqsmu l-baħar ifittxu l-ħajja
telqu d-dar biex isibu
Id-dar
aħjar.

SUNG:
La barchetta in mezzo al mare
è diretta a Santa Fè
dove va per caricare
mezzo chilo di caffè.
Agħmillu karta.. Agħmillu l-karta, forsi jħalluħ iħuf bil-kwiet

Għalxejn il-karta, ma wasalx Malta għax fi triqtu dan laħaq miet.

…

Ix-xogħol immur bil-lanċa

Waqt li nħoss iż-żiffa tal-Port il-Kbir, riħa tal-baħar ta’ filgħodu, niftakar fir-rakkonti ta’ missieri ta’ żmien il-Libja, l-oil rigs, it-tbatija u l-flus.

Ġieli noqgħod nehwden jekk għandix nitlaq

Fejn ma nafx imma l-aqwa li mmur… indur

Issa b’tal-linja, bil-mutur

…mhux issa ċ-ċans?

mhux issa ċ-ċans li nerħilha lej’ l-Orjent li tant ilu jsejjaħli

mhux issa ċ-ċans li ninsa kollox waqt il-parties tal-qamar kwinta Tajlandiżi.

mhux issa ċ-ċans li nieħu selfie mat-tfal foqra Sudanizi meta mmur nqassmilhom il-ħelu

mhux issa ċ-ċans kif għadni żgħir u mimli enerġija

mhux issa ċ-ċans li nitlaq kollox forsi nsib xortija

mhux issa ċ-ċans li naħrab avolja jien bla ħtija

mhux issa ċ-ċans, hekk jew b’hekk x’għandi x’nitlef?

‘mhux issa ċ-ċans’

 

Erġajt sibt ruħi quddiem l-iscreen…ix-xogħol

Mhux li kien nerġa’ mmur lura għall-utopja ta’ bil-lejl, il-ħolma mhux mittiefsa

Qed nipprova niftaħ għajnejja

 

…imma iebsa.

 

This poem was written at the “Spoken Words” Workshop, organised as part of RIMA Project.

Justin Galea is a trained performer mostly known as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Currently lead singer of contemporary rock band Djun, Galea was a key musician on Plato’s Dream Machine’s independent release Għera (2014) and he is also a vocalist in Heritage Records (Dominic Galea)’s jazz release Moħġaġa (2015). Galea has performed extensively at all major local festivals and events and led collaborations with major local artistic organisations including performances at the Milan Expo 2015, in Istanbul for the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe and in London with Sofar Sounds. He is a cultural manager by profession and his main interests are music, interactive arts and creative projects within communities.