Poetry Competition Winners 2023
Best Llanito Category
“Se tá perdiendo” by Dale Buttigieg
Lâ pavanâ tàn volando
Polô patiô de Hivertà
À vè si por una kalle
Amehòn se pweda kuxà
Lâ palavritâ dun làngwij
Ke lô 'vemo orvidàu d'avlà
Komo'n gaite sin levante
Ke seguro no va volà
Sori àlô ke dêpwè vengan
Kon un pâtiso ke reglà
Porke no va sè na fasi
Traè tolo perdìo patrà
Un mevli traviàu nla plasa
Un molino k'aigre no da
Un mîto ke tà sin llama
La farola sin alumbrà
Ese ê er vurdè ke dehamo
Polâ kallê de Hivertà
Tamo supwêto savêlo
Nwêtro hèritij, no'h verdà?
Metìo devaho'r tapete
Vien kondiìto komo si na
Kièn va dâle 'na apolohìa
À ese làngwij ke no va tà?
La patuka ke se pierde
Kolâ s'olitâ dela ma
Si ê ke s'ase dòkiumenting
Lo vamo tenè k'akseptà
Ke tiramo ese hìstori
K'àla pwerta vino à pikà
Er partìo se tà perdiendo
Ni un gou lo va podè sarvà
Pìdeselo à Fadakrîmâ
Kè màjik tenemo k'usà?
Pa 'sè rivèsing un stori
Ke sì va terminà fatà
Si ese Hivertà der fiuch
a Er Llanito no save 'vl
Judge Charlie Durante’s comments:
Dale Buttigieg with Se tà perdiendo. Dale is a great advocate of Yanito and his poem, Se tà perdiendo, is a lament for the slow erosion of our distinctive language. The initial seagull searches in vain for ‘lâ palavritâ dun langwij/Ke lô’vemo orvidau d’avlà.’
The disappearing language is compared to, depressingly, to ‘un mevli traviàu,’ ‘un molino k’aigre no da,’ ‘un mîto ke tà sin llama’-things which have lost their raison d’être. The language is part of ‘nwêtro hèritij,’ but we have neglected and devalued it.
Dale is definitely following his advice about ‘ke s’ase dòkiumenting- his short story (earlier this year) and this poem are powerful pleas for the central role played by Yanito in defining our heritage, culture and distinctive character as a people.
If Yanito has a future in the ‘Hivertà del fiucha,’ we need to overcome our linguistic prejudice and glory in our multi-lingual society.
Best Llanito Category Runner-Up
“Vámono Pa Little Bay!” by Susan Cabezutto
No me entretenga que me voy pa Little Bay,
It's where I spend my summers every single day,
Adonde vamo esta mejor?
Que in this small place they all ignore,
Hasta que el Levante se apodera,
Y el red flag con fuerza vuela,
Sabre Eas.tern y Both Worlds,
Ahu, now adonde vamo?
Porque el Quary esta jampacked,
Y el Nuffield Pool tambien esta full.
Po vamono pa Little Bay,
Que es temprano, just midday.
Ai que calor por Dias,
Ai el concrete coma quema,
Tantas piedras que dilema,
Que no tengo plastic shoes,
Que hecho de meno la arena,
Con la orilla llena stones,
Que dolores pa mi bones,
Ai la ola que me lira,
Que me ahogo, madre mia,
It's the ferry cuando cruza de Malaga a Tangiers,
No vea el tidal wave that suddenly appears,
Ya no vengo mas,
Cada uno pa sus playas,
What's the time, Siri?
Ai por fin,
Es la hora del pollito al Piri-Piri.
Judge Charlie Durante’s comments:
Susan Cabezutto with Vámono pa Little Bay. What a delightful poem Susan has written. Summer’s here and the heat is unbearable unless you stake your claim to some spot in one of our crowded beaches. So, the speaker does not want to be detained as she rushes to set up her beach umbrella in Little Bay. But Little Bay is only the default choice when the Quarry and Nuffield Pool are congested with sunbathers and swimmers because there ‘el concrete como quema,’ ‘tantas piedras’ torture your feet ‘que no tengo plastic shoes’ and the ‘orilla llena stones.’
The poem succeeds beautifully because the use of Yanito sounds natural and unforced. We all say ‘no vea el tidal wave,’ ‘el ferry cuando cruza,’and ‘ el Quarry esta jampacked.’ There’s also a sense of community and enjoyment of life despite the inconveniences.
I hope Susan enjoyed her ‘pollito al Piri-Piri!”