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    When We Only Have the Earth

    Abdourahman A. Waberi (Author), Nancy Naomi Carlson (Translated by)

    9781496241351

    Paperback / softback, published 1 March 2025

    80 pages
    22.9 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm, 0.136 kg

    "Lyrical and evocative, this newly published collection takes the reader on a journey throughout North America, Africa and Europe that encourages them to recognize the healing power of love in restoring the Earth."-Seattle Times
    “In this wonderful collection we encounter a poet who moves deftly from the political to the intimate with an impressive sense of play. There is a tone to the work, carried over into this remarkable translation, of the studied, sharp, witty, and yet poignant ways in which French language writers approach the world. From Derrida (yes, I think of him as a poet) to the engagement of Nganang, we see a lineage and skill and craft that make for the uniqueness of this tradition, and certainly of the lyric work in this collection. Abdourahman Waberi invites us into a deeply felt and artfully wrought collection. We are enriched for reading it.”-Chris Abani, author of Smoking the Bible and Sanctificum

    In this ode to the earth and all its living creatures, French Djiboutian poet, novelist, and essayist Abdourahman A. Waberi sounds the alarm about our imperiled planet, where “the Sahel rises in you, in me / the Red Sea boils in you, in me / Nunvut is melting in you, in me.” This translation by Nancy Naomi Carlson preserves the rich musicality of the original French, as well as its frequent use of wordplay and often unusual word choice.

    Waberi, a nomad at heart, takes us on a whirlwind tour across North America, Africa, and Europe, daring us to love the earth “beyond all rational thought” and to “turn into earth, both literally and figuratively,” as we “turn from vanity, fears, and other pointless rustling.” These lyrical, playful, and moving poems urge us to look for the truth and beauty hidden in our daily lives, singing of Waberi’s own enduring love for our endangered planet and also, more forcefully, exhorting us to join him in the collective fight to save our planet from destruction.

    Acknowledgments
    Translator’
    s Note
    Dare to Turn into Earth
    One Saturday in Virginia
    Open Air
    Wonder Train
    Bas-relief-Three Images in One
    A Touch of Salt on My Confession
    In Sicily
    Sahel! Sa(y) Hel(lo)
    In Pennsylvania
    Interlude
    A Short Ballad to Lull the Horizon
    Here I Am
    Here Comes Summer
    Kneading Love!
    Every Being Is Unique
    My Silence Told Me
    It Won’
    t Be Long
    Soliloquy
    Hairless Stumps
    Taking Refuge
    AfrokhoÏ
    sapiens: A pictoem in five scenes
    Genesis
    Fiat Lux
    Transvaal
    Thirst
    Trance
    After All
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