dlbassman politiku journal

a tercet of machiavelli on war (march 2019) carl lawrence and myself reworked a prose translation from the book "machiavelli in hell" by sebastian de grazia. i recited it as part of mr lawrence's multi-disciplinary performance "+aaaa+" in early march 2019 at base, seattle. +aaaa+ , seattle dances (transfers to an external site) --------------------------------------------- turn your eyes here whoever wishes to see the sorrows of others, then look once more if ever the sun has shown on so much cruelty a man for his father weeps and a woman for her child - shelterless they wander in alleyways and crooked streets (break) a family driven from their ancient home in sorrow - every day many births are born of wounds of the womb *1 blood pollutes the ditches and streams they're full of heads, of legs and arms and bleeding conscience and dismembered dreams *2 (break) peoples faces are dark with gloom terrified and numb from new injuries they walk in fear of sudden doom wherever you turn your eyes the earth is wet with tears and blood and full of screams, of sobs, and sighs ------ notes *1 wounds of the womb seem to refer to the fact that in those days, caesarians were performed only on women who had died *2 mr thoreau speaks of whether a persons conscience can bleed in his essay "on civil disobedience"