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Picking Off New Shoots Will Not Stop the Spring: Witness poems and essays from Burma/Myanmar
Fallen innocents on blood-stained streets. The defiant banging of pots and pans echoing in the darkness. The birth of a springtime revolution amidst the interrupted lives of a country and its people. On the morning of 1 February 2021, a coup d'�tat was initiated by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, effectively overthrowing the democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy, and casting Myanmar into chaos.
This volume collects the poetry and prose of the many writers, cultural figures, and everyday people on the ground in Myanmar's urban centres, rural countryside and in the diaspora, as they document, memorialize, or merely try to come to grips with the violence and traumas unfolding before their eyes. Written in English or translated from the original Burmese the collection includes some of Myanmar's most important contemporary authors and dissidents, such as Ma Thida, Nyipulay and K Za Win, as well as up and coming authors and poets from all over Myanmar, reflecting the country's rich cultural and ethnic diversity.
In addition, poetry and essays that reflect socioeconomic life of the so-called transitional Myanmar (2010-2020), a period of relative freedom for writers when much of the censorship regime was lifted and the internet and social media were introduced in the country, as well as prominent protest poems and essays, by dissidents Min Ko Naing, U Win Tin and Min Lu, who lived through the hopes and horrors of the 1988 uprising of Myanmar are featured in this volume.
A feast for the literary imagination, an elegy to those who have fallen, and a courageous act of defiance by those that continue to fight, these firsthand accounts provide an important window into a crucial moment in Myanmar's history.
Review quotes:
"Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring brings together for the first time in print-in translations both inspired and felicitous-poet-heros of the '88 Uprising, new voices from within the Chin, Kachin and Rohingya minorities, young poet-warriors of the ongoing armed struggle, and early martyrs of the Spring Revolution, notably K Za Win and Khet Thi. Together they raise a cri de coeur of resistance, resilience, and-through their poetry-redemption." --Wendy Law-Yone (Author of A Daughter's Memoir of Burma, Golden Parasol, The Road to Wanting, Irrawaddy Tango, and The Coffin Tree)
About the Editors:
Ko Ko Thett is a Burma-born poet, literary translator, and poetry editor for Mekong Review. He started writing poems for samizdat pamphlets at the Yangon Institute of Technology in the '90s. After a brush with the authorities in the 1996 student protest, and a brief detention, he left Burma in 1997 and has led an itinerant life ever since. Thett has published and edited several collections of poetry and translations in both Burmese and English. His poems are widely translated and anthologised. His translation work has been recognised with an English PEN award. Thett's most recent poetry collection is Bamboophobia (Zephyr Press, 2022). He lives in Norwich, UK.
Brian Haman is a researcher and lecturer in the department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna. He completed his PhD in literature at the University of Warwick (UK) and has studied or held research appointments in Europe, China, and the US. A book, art, and music critic, he writes widely on contemporary culture from Asia, and, since 2017, has been an editor of The Shanghai Literary Review. His forthcoming books include an anthology of contemporary Chinese-language poetry in translation as well as an edition of the unpublished works of exiled Austrian Jewish writer Mark Siegelberg.
This volume collects the poetry and prose of the many writers, cultural figures, and everyday people on the ground in Myanmar's urban centres, rural countryside and in the diaspora, as they document, memorialize, or merely try to come to grips with the violence and traumas unfolding before their eyes. Written in English or translated from the original Burmese the collection includes some of Myanmar's most important contemporary authors and dissidents, such as Ma Thida, Nyipulay and K Za Win, as well as up and coming authors and poets from all over Myanmar, reflecting the country's rich cultural and ethnic diversity.
In addition, poetry and essays that reflect socioeconomic life of the so-called transitional Myanmar (2010-2020), a period of relative freedom for writers when much of the censorship regime was lifted and the internet and social media were introduced in the country, as well as prominent protest poems and essays, by dissidents Min Ko Naing, U Win Tin and Min Lu, who lived through the hopes and horrors of the 1988 uprising of Myanmar are featured in this volume.
A feast for the literary imagination, an elegy to those who have fallen, and a courageous act of defiance by those that continue to fight, these firsthand accounts provide an important window into a crucial moment in Myanmar's history.
Review quotes:
"Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring brings together for the first time in print-in translations both inspired and felicitous-poet-heros of the '88 Uprising, new voices from within the Chin, Kachin and Rohingya minorities, young poet-warriors of the ongoing armed struggle, and early martyrs of the Spring Revolution, notably K Za Win and Khet Thi. Together they raise a cri de coeur of resistance, resilience, and-through their poetry-redemption." --Wendy Law-Yone (Author of A Daughter's Memoir of Burma, Golden Parasol, The Road to Wanting, Irrawaddy Tango, and The Coffin Tree)
About the Editors:
Ko Ko Thett is a Burma-born poet, literary translator, and poetry editor for Mekong Review. He started writing poems for samizdat pamphlets at the Yangon Institute of Technology in the '90s. After a brush with the authorities in the 1996 student protest, and a brief detention, he left Burma in 1997 and has led an itinerant life ever since. Thett has published and edited several collections of poetry and translations in both Burmese and English. His poems are widely translated and anthologised. His translation work has been recognised with an English PEN award. Thett's most recent poetry collection is Bamboophobia (Zephyr Press, 2022). He lives in Norwich, UK.
Brian Haman is a researcher and lecturer in the department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna. He completed his PhD in literature at the University of Warwick (UK) and has studied or held research appointments in Europe, China, and the US. A book, art, and music critic, he writes widely on contemporary culture from Asia, and, since 2017, has been an editor of The Shanghai Literary Review. His forthcoming books include an anthology of contemporary Chinese-language poetry in translation as well as an edition of the unpublished works of exiled Austrian Jewish writer Mark Siegelberg.
266 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2022
7 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
ko ko thett
13 books5 followersko ko thett is a poet by choice and Burmese by chance. In between he is a poetry editor, literary translator, and anthologist of contemporary Burmese poetry.
In 1995, whilst studying engineering at the Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT), thett began editing and publishing Old Gold, a campus samizdat in Burmese. In the aftermath of Funeral of Old Gold, his second chapbook, he was arrested and detained for his involvement in the December 1996 student uprising. After his release in April 1997, he left both YIT and Burma for Singapore and then Bangkok, where he spent three years working for the Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific. In 2000, thett went to Finland where he took up peace and conflict studies at the University of Helsinki, before finally moving to Vienna to study with Wolfram Schaffar at the Institute for International Development at the University of Vienna.
His poems have been published in literary journals worldwide (from Griffith Review to Granta), and translated into Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, German and Finnish. The Burden of Being Burmese (Zephyr, 2015), a collection of ko ko thett's poems that have appeared in literary journals worldwide, is listed on ‘‘Nota Benes’’ by World Literature Today. thett's poems are anthologised in Best American Experimental Writing 2016 [BAX 2016], CAPITALS: A Poetry Anthology , The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, Poetry, and Supplement among others. His work has been recognized with an English PEN Translation Award (2011) and an Honorary Fellowship in Writing at the University of Iowa (2016). After a whirlwind tour of Asia, Europe and North America for two decades, thett happily resettled in Sagaing in his native Burma-Myanmar in 2017. As of 2020 he is most likely to be spotted in the Golden Triangle area of Norwich, UK. thett writes in both Burmese and English.
In 1995, whilst studying engineering at the Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT), thett began editing and publishing Old Gold, a campus samizdat in Burmese. In the aftermath of Funeral of Old Gold, his second chapbook, he was arrested and detained for his involvement in the December 1996 student uprising. After his release in April 1997, he left both YIT and Burma for Singapore and then Bangkok, where he spent three years working for the Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific. In 2000, thett went to Finland where he took up peace and conflict studies at the University of Helsinki, before finally moving to Vienna to study with Wolfram Schaffar at the Institute for International Development at the University of Vienna.
His poems have been published in literary journals worldwide (from Griffith Review to Granta), and translated into Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, German and Finnish. The Burden of Being Burmese (Zephyr, 2015), a collection of ko ko thett's poems that have appeared in literary journals worldwide, is listed on ‘‘Nota Benes’’ by World Literature Today. thett's poems are anthologised in Best American Experimental Writing 2016 [BAX 2016], CAPITALS: A Poetry Anthology , The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, Poetry, and Supplement among others. His work has been recognized with an English PEN Translation Award (2011) and an Honorary Fellowship in Writing at the University of Iowa (2016). After a whirlwind tour of Asia, Europe and North America for two decades, thett happily resettled in Sagaing in his native Burma-Myanmar in 2017. As of 2020 he is most likely to be spotted in the Golden Triangle area of Norwich, UK. thett writes in both Burmese and English.
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February 4, 2022
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of 2021 Burmese Revolution, Ethos Books published Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring:Witness poems & essays from Burma/Myanmar 1988-2021 to share the voices of Burmese people and their fight against Tatmadaw (the military junta). The e-book is free to download internationally on Ethos Books’ website. Thanks a lot to Ethos for providing me an e-ARC of this book.
⚠️TW: This book has graphic representations of tortures and killings by Tatmadaw. Blood can be found in almost every story. Read with caution, please.‼️
Two editors, Ko Ko Thett (Burmese poet & literary translator) and Brian Haman (researcher & writer), compiled the writing of poets and writers from various ethnic groups and backgrounds. Some are written in English and some are translated from Burmese. This anthology features a variety of voices including prominent contemporary authors and activists. Organized in reverse chronological order, the contents showcase the regime’s oppression towards the citizen for generations. First section comprises poems and essays on 2021 revolution and it fills the half of the book. The second section covers the writing from 2010 to 2020 whereas the final section includes the content from 1988 to 2010. Rather than labelling as ‘resistance’ writing, the editors used the term ‘witness poems and essays’ as it is more subjective and has no political agenda manifestation.
The anthology is sharp and multifaceted. It includes the events in early days of revolutions such as various forms of nationwide protests, personal account on fleeing one’s own home to refuge camp, stories and tributes to our fallen heroes as well as about the courageous people who stood up for the injustice. The transformation of the revolution can be studied in a few essays, too. Some of writers and poets in the book were tortured or shot to dead by the junta. Some have been sentenced to multiple years in prison. Some entered the jungle and joined the ethnic armed organisations to fight the regime. Some have to flee the country for safety.
I received the ARC in early January and honestly, it was not an easy read as it hit so close to home. I have a chest full of emotions jumbled together. I feel enraged and dejected in some parts cause the poems and essays are very graphic. These are our wounds. Some are my own bruise, some are my friends’ and all are our people’s wounds endured for many years. I had to take several breaks while reading it, sometimes hours and at times, days. Equivalently, I get encouraged by the empowering stories of the people who are resolute and unswerving in this fight. Yes, our wounds are still fresh and they have barely healed. Reading this book is like picking off the scabs unconsciously which makes the wounds fresh again. But I am also reminded to keep resisting the injustice and involve in this revolution.
Title of this book is a slight resemblance to a quote from the Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda— “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” Spring has always been a symbol of hope. It is the return of warm sunbeams after long cold winter nights. Though people’s spirit can be obscured for certain amount of time but it can never be broken over the long run. We shall keep fighting the darkness with the light within us.
So, for fellow Burmese people and those who have experienced abuse and oppression, please beware of graphic and violent contents. Take a break if necessary. What important for us as the readers is what we take from our read. This book exhibits our collective traumas and I hope to overcome them collectively, as well. Many of us took our fragile democracy for granted. It is a valid reminder that a “learning experience” for us could come at the expense of the feelings and lives of our own. Last, but never the least, our revolution must prevail.
⚠️TW: This book has graphic representations of tortures and killings by Tatmadaw. Blood can be found in almost every story. Read with caution, please.‼️
Two editors, Ko Ko Thett (Burmese poet & literary translator) and Brian Haman (researcher & writer), compiled the writing of poets and writers from various ethnic groups and backgrounds. Some are written in English and some are translated from Burmese. This anthology features a variety of voices including prominent contemporary authors and activists. Organized in reverse chronological order, the contents showcase the regime’s oppression towards the citizen for generations. First section comprises poems and essays on 2021 revolution and it fills the half of the book. The second section covers the writing from 2010 to 2020 whereas the final section includes the content from 1988 to 2010. Rather than labelling as ‘resistance’ writing, the editors used the term ‘witness poems and essays’ as it is more subjective and has no political agenda manifestation.
The anthology is sharp and multifaceted. It includes the events in early days of revolutions such as various forms of nationwide protests, personal account on fleeing one’s own home to refuge camp, stories and tributes to our fallen heroes as well as about the courageous people who stood up for the injustice. The transformation of the revolution can be studied in a few essays, too. Some of writers and poets in the book were tortured or shot to dead by the junta. Some have been sentenced to multiple years in prison. Some entered the jungle and joined the ethnic armed organisations to fight the regime. Some have to flee the country for safety.
I received the ARC in early January and honestly, it was not an easy read as it hit so close to home. I have a chest full of emotions jumbled together. I feel enraged and dejected in some parts cause the poems and essays are very graphic. These are our wounds. Some are my own bruise, some are my friends’ and all are our people’s wounds endured for many years. I had to take several breaks while reading it, sometimes hours and at times, days. Equivalently, I get encouraged by the empowering stories of the people who are resolute and unswerving in this fight. Yes, our wounds are still fresh and they have barely healed. Reading this book is like picking off the scabs unconsciously which makes the wounds fresh again. But I am also reminded to keep resisting the injustice and involve in this revolution.
Title of this book is a slight resemblance to a quote from the Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda— “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” Spring has always been a symbol of hope. It is the return of warm sunbeams after long cold winter nights. Though people’s spirit can be obscured for certain amount of time but it can never be broken over the long run. We shall keep fighting the darkness with the light within us.
So, for fellow Burmese people and those who have experienced abuse and oppression, please beware of graphic and violent contents. Take a break if necessary. What important for us as the readers is what we take from our read. This book exhibits our collective traumas and I hope to overcome them collectively, as well. Many of us took our fragile democracy for granted. It is a valid reminder that a “learning experience” for us could come at the expense of the feelings and lives of our own. Last, but never the least, our revolution must prevail.
January 31, 2022
"Not only does this corpus of writing demonstrate the power and possibilities of the written word when faced with the barrel of a gun, but it also reveals Burmese writing to be aesthetically accomplished and significant. In this respect, witness writings from Myanmar should not be understood merely as a local phenomenon with only local relevance, but rather seen within the international context of recent resistant art movements.”
Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring is a collection of poetry and prose written by the people of Burma, with its content focusing on the events of the 2021 coup and the fight for democracy throughout its history.
Here, they have a space and voice to share their various experiences; they're all heartbreaking and painful to read, but these various authors also retain their hope and conviction of a better future for themselves and their country. From spring to footwear, they take what has been thrown at them with grace and return it with an unending flame that has been burning in the decades past, and continues to burn to this day. As someone who isn't part of this community, I feel it's only right for me to urge you to read this collection and hear from the people themselves.
Some stories/poetry that continue to linger in my mind are:
Two Words I Hate The Most - Commentary on the inaction of international governments in the face of violence, though I find this to be applicable to the general public as well.
The Noble - Recognises the bravery and legacy of those who resist; "The message continues to travel far and wide. Never believe for a moment that the black-hearted have won."
Shifting Targets and the Transformation of the Spring Revolution - An account of the progression of the Spring revolution in 2021, highlighting the heart, strength and solidarity of the people in the face of increasing violence.
Fearless Tiger - A poem written by Hanthawaddy U Win Tin while he was in prison; "I won't lose hope, I won't give up, / Now I'm the anvil, later the hammer;"
What's going on? - A poem criticising the junta that was widely circulated during the 1988 Uprising and has made a comeback after the 2021 coup.
Thank you to Ethos Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A free e-book copy is available on their website for anyone interested (I highly recommend the read)!! There will also be a limited paperback release in Singapore, the US, and the UK.
Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring is a collection of poetry and prose written by the people of Burma, with its content focusing on the events of the 2021 coup and the fight for democracy throughout its history.
Here, they have a space and voice to share their various experiences; they're all heartbreaking and painful to read, but these various authors also retain their hope and conviction of a better future for themselves and their country. From spring to footwear, they take what has been thrown at them with grace and return it with an unending flame that has been burning in the decades past, and continues to burn to this day. As someone who isn't part of this community, I feel it's only right for me to urge you to read this collection and hear from the people themselves.
Some stories/poetry that continue to linger in my mind are:
Two Words I Hate The Most - Commentary on the inaction of international governments in the face of violence, though I find this to be applicable to the general public as well.
The Noble - Recognises the bravery and legacy of those who resist; "The message continues to travel far and wide. Never believe for a moment that the black-hearted have won."
Shifting Targets and the Transformation of the Spring Revolution - An account of the progression of the Spring revolution in 2021, highlighting the heart, strength and solidarity of the people in the face of increasing violence.
Fearless Tiger - A poem written by Hanthawaddy U Win Tin while he was in prison; "I won't lose hope, I won't give up, / Now I'm the anvil, later the hammer;"
What's going on? - A poem criticising the junta that was widely circulated during the 1988 Uprising and has made a comeback after the 2021 coup.
Thank you to Ethos Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A free e-book copy is available on their website for anyone interested (I highly recommend the read)!! There will also be a limited paperback release in Singapore, the US, and the UK.
February 6, 2022
cw: some descriptions can be disturbing
Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring is a collection of what the editor, ko ko thett, calls witness poems and essays from Burmese people in Myanmar cities, in the countryside, prisons, and around the world in diasporas, of the military coup, as we pass the first anniversary of the event on 1 February 2021.
The blurb of this collection says this is an 'important window into a crucial moment in Myanmar's history' and I cannot agree more. It feels like it has went on way longer than it should. And yet the Burmese people push on. This collection intimately captures both the big events and everything things - the juxtaposition of both makes it feel very surreal. How does everyone keep going on, doing the same thing everyday - be it protesting, working in silent defiance, or just living - while this unimaginable, overpowering, and almost all-encompassing violence keeps happening, I just don't know.
"Look
there are fallen flowerets like you, all red on the asphalt road
singing the song of peace" (For my martyred son, A Phaw Khaing)
Some of the poems and essays that stuck with me:
My story by Ningja Khon - an account of an activist who worked for an international NGO about human rights, of which was providing financial and technical support to protest groups in Myanmar. Soon, Ningja needed to flee, after staying low for a while. She details the choices she made, some in haste and some pre-planned, following a line of activists that helped her leave Myanmar and led her eventually to the US. She talked about her sorrow for her family and colleagues, her guilt for leaving, and the turmoil and terror she faced during the move.
Hole by Min San Wai - it references the incident where a young girl was killed when a bullet entered her home and hit her through the bamboo wall. In the poem, the mother of the girl looked through the hole and found a 'pagoda donor' staring (rich military personnel often donates to have pagodas built) - the juxtaposition of donating to Buddhist buildings and shooting children is starkly pointed out. I imagined the author writing this poem, quietly in rage (as I was).
Unnamed essay by Seng Bru - they are an activist that talked about some of their experiences protesting with youths - one paragraph mentioned how they suspect that water bottles handed out to protestors were poisoned, so they no longer took them.
The day your mugshot appeared on the state-owned channel by #Plug X - a poem recounting the loss of her brother, who was an activist. He went missing and eventually the family saw on TV that he has been charged with murder and terrorism.
What was also heartbreaking was the red text at the bottom of some essays and poems, explaining that the writer has been jailed or murdered by the junta, sometimes shortly after they wrote the poem or essay.
The e-book is free to download internationally on Ethos Books’ website. Thank you Ethos for the ARC.
Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring is a collection of what the editor, ko ko thett, calls witness poems and essays from Burmese people in Myanmar cities, in the countryside, prisons, and around the world in diasporas, of the military coup, as we pass the first anniversary of the event on 1 February 2021.
The blurb of this collection says this is an 'important window into a crucial moment in Myanmar's history' and I cannot agree more. It feels like it has went on way longer than it should. And yet the Burmese people push on. This collection intimately captures both the big events and everything things - the juxtaposition of both makes it feel very surreal. How does everyone keep going on, doing the same thing everyday - be it protesting, working in silent defiance, or just living - while this unimaginable, overpowering, and almost all-encompassing violence keeps happening, I just don't know.
"Look
there are fallen flowerets like you, all red on the asphalt road
singing the song of peace" (For my martyred son, A Phaw Khaing)
Some of the poems and essays that stuck with me:
My story by Ningja Khon - an account of an activist who worked for an international NGO about human rights, of which was providing financial and technical support to protest groups in Myanmar. Soon, Ningja needed to flee, after staying low for a while. She details the choices she made, some in haste and some pre-planned, following a line of activists that helped her leave Myanmar and led her eventually to the US. She talked about her sorrow for her family and colleagues, her guilt for leaving, and the turmoil and terror she faced during the move.
Hole by Min San Wai - it references the incident where a young girl was killed when a bullet entered her home and hit her through the bamboo wall. In the poem, the mother of the girl looked through the hole and found a 'pagoda donor' staring (rich military personnel often donates to have pagodas built) - the juxtaposition of donating to Buddhist buildings and shooting children is starkly pointed out. I imagined the author writing this poem, quietly in rage (as I was).
Unnamed essay by Seng Bru - they are an activist that talked about some of their experiences protesting with youths - one paragraph mentioned how they suspect that water bottles handed out to protestors were poisoned, so they no longer took them.
The day your mugshot appeared on the state-owned channel by #Plug X - a poem recounting the loss of her brother, who was an activist. He went missing and eventually the family saw on TV that he has been charged with murder and terrorism.
What was also heartbreaking was the red text at the bottom of some essays and poems, explaining that the writer has been jailed or murdered by the junta, sometimes shortly after they wrote the poem or essay.
The e-book is free to download internationally on Ethos Books’ website. Thank you Ethos for the ARC.
Read
January 26, 2023Indonesians will likely remember the Myanmar coup for that Bang Jago clip, which almost feels like a pitch-perfect scene in the dark tragicomedy that is 2021. This book serves to present us of the voices of those still struggling in the protests and unrests that follows in the struggle against the Tatmadaw.
‘Witness’ is the term the editors used for the writings collected in this book, as opposed to 'resistance', for these writings may not be overtly political in its agenda. It includes everyday accounts, poems from writers, now dead, recently killed by the state, or call to arms and cries of defiance. These are experiences and feelings that are unimaginably intense, scenes of both the best and worst that people have to offer. In ‘Two words I hate most’, the Rohingya poet Dialogue Partner’s spiteful lament is palpable.
The rapid fire scenes in ‘The day your mugshot appeared on the state-owned channel’, by someone whose brother went missing and was later pinned to be a wanted terrorists, feels almost like it was written in a stupor, a limbo between desperation and grief.
There is also solidarity. Witnesses to the amazing things people do for each other in times of struggle. In ‘Shifting targets and the transformation of the Spring Revolution’, Suragamika depicts scenes of civil disobedience, and reminds that revolutionaries aren’t singular heroes. Neighbourhoods staging unmanned protests, disrupting military administration, healthcare workers and other folks from all walks of life, helping each other in lockstep. “A young man whose arm was smashed by a bullet said ‘I am okay, Sister. Please go and help more serious cases.’”
One has to wonder, under such extremes, what can one do but at least write? Reading this book is a reminder of the catharsis that comes from the act of writing, though maybe not merely in the therapeutic sense. My sincere hope is that it is instrumental as well. That these writings serve some sort of political or collective purpose, and truly aid the ongoing struggle.
Tangents
- Out of all the poems, Maung Chaw New’s ‘To wilt is to bloom’ is the one that shook me the most. It is an older one, but it reminds me of simpler resistance poems from Indo.
- Writing about a book full of poems, especially one as current and critical as this is tough.
‘Witness’ is the term the editors used for the writings collected in this book, as opposed to 'resistance', for these writings may not be overtly political in its agenda. It includes everyday accounts, poems from writers, now dead, recently killed by the state, or call to arms and cries of defiance. These are experiences and feelings that are unimaginably intense, scenes of both the best and worst that people have to offer. In ‘Two words I hate most’, the Rohingya poet Dialogue Partner’s spiteful lament is palpable.
See with my eyes, think with my mind,
And feel with my heart for a second.
If you were me, you would definitely be
Desperate to die, rather than survive.
The rapid fire scenes in ‘The day your mugshot appeared on the state-owned channel’, by someone whose brother went missing and was later pinned to be a wanted terrorists, feels almost like it was written in a stupor, a limbo between desperation and grief.
We don’t have any god to rescue you, do we? You didn’t even dare to squash a mosquito.
Now you are a murderer and a terrorist.
It’s such a joke, and the joke is not funny.
There is also solidarity. Witnesses to the amazing things people do for each other in times of struggle. In ‘Shifting targets and the transformation of the Spring Revolution’, Suragamika depicts scenes of civil disobedience, and reminds that revolutionaries aren’t singular heroes. Neighbourhoods staging unmanned protests, disrupting military administration, healthcare workers and other folks from all walks of life, helping each other in lockstep. “A young man whose arm was smashed by a bullet said ‘I am okay, Sister. Please go and help more serious cases.’”
One has to wonder, under such extremes, what can one do but at least write? Reading this book is a reminder of the catharsis that comes from the act of writing, though maybe not merely in the therapeutic sense. My sincere hope is that it is instrumental as well. That these writings serve some sort of political or collective purpose, and truly aid the ongoing struggle.
Tangents
- Out of all the poems, Maung Chaw New’s ‘To wilt is to bloom’ is the one that shook me the most. It is an older one, but it reminds me of simpler resistance poems from Indo.
To wilt is to bloom
That’s the flowers’ doctrine.
You may crush us, we may fall,
But when we die we rise again.
- Writing about a book full of poems, especially one as current and critical as this is tough.
February 8, 2025
"To wilt is to bloom,
That’s the flowers’ doctrine.
You may crush us, we may fall,
But when we die we rise again."
-from "To wilt is to bloom" by Maung Chaw Nwe (1949-2002)
That’s the flowers’ doctrine.
You may crush us, we may fall,
But when we die we rise again."
-from "To wilt is to bloom" by Maung Chaw Nwe (1949-2002)
December 31, 2023
Poems, essays, and anecdotes from various Burmese people. I think what hit me most is that probably half the people who have contributed to this are already dead, killed by the junta. So while the quality of the different texts may vary, this little book makes up for it tenfold by bringing Myanmar’s struggle for freedom a bit more into the light and stands as a lonely remembrance for those who have fallen.
Fuck the Tatmadaw.
Fuck the Tatmadaw.
February 17, 2022
I received this arc in late January and I was really reading this very slowly because I wanted to appreciate each piece of writing. Some of the pieces were also very hard to read. I felt sad. I felt angry and frustrated for those who have given their lives fighting to free themselves from oppression and all the injustice they face. I don’t read poetry but I found a deep appreciation reading the poems from this book especially the cost it took for these writers to publish them.
Two editors, Ko Ko Thett and Brian Haman, compiled together a series of witness poems and essays from different Burmese ethnic groups and backgrounds. This is broken down into three sections: first section is on the Spring Revolution in 2021, the second on movements and events from 2010 to 2020 and the final section covers writings from 1988-2010. I enjoyed reading all the essays and I was surprised to find that I loved quite a few of the poems too. I can feel the emotions through their words and they have definitely made an impact on me. Some of these stories will stay with me for a long time.
Amidst all their frustrations and heartbreaks, there is hope and solidarity. Hope for a better country, hope that future generations will not have to suffer and hope that there will be peace. Yes, the stories are filled with pain but they are also filled with empowering voices of people who will keep fighting even when hope is frail. I am very thankful to the translators for translating these beautifully written proses so we can all read this and understand the severity of what is really going on and making sure their voices are heard loud and clear.
"We have lost more than a thousand lives and there has been immeasuable suffering, yet we don't give up. The people who gave their lives for this aren't simply numbers. Their lost lives will become scratches on the wall as proof that we fought, and are still fighting, back., The scratches will keep us and our voices alive even if we die." - Nandar, A Nightmare You Can't Wake Up From
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve written. I found it hard to put into words how I really feel and I don’t think my review is doing this book any justice. Thank you Ariane from @ethosbooks for providing me with an arc. I strongly recommend everyone to read this and you can download a free copy from their website.
Two editors, Ko Ko Thett and Brian Haman, compiled together a series of witness poems and essays from different Burmese ethnic groups and backgrounds. This is broken down into three sections: first section is on the Spring Revolution in 2021, the second on movements and events from 2010 to 2020 and the final section covers writings from 1988-2010. I enjoyed reading all the essays and I was surprised to find that I loved quite a few of the poems too. I can feel the emotions through their words and they have definitely made an impact on me. Some of these stories will stay with me for a long time.
Amidst all their frustrations and heartbreaks, there is hope and solidarity. Hope for a better country, hope that future generations will not have to suffer and hope that there will be peace. Yes, the stories are filled with pain but they are also filled with empowering voices of people who will keep fighting even when hope is frail. I am very thankful to the translators for translating these beautifully written proses so we can all read this and understand the severity of what is really going on and making sure their voices are heard loud and clear.
"We have lost more than a thousand lives and there has been immeasuable suffering, yet we don't give up. The people who gave their lives for this aren't simply numbers. Their lost lives will become scratches on the wall as proof that we fought, and are still fighting, back., The scratches will keep us and our voices alive even if we die." - Nandar, A Nightmare You Can't Wake Up From
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve written. I found it hard to put into words how I really feel and I don’t think my review is doing this book any justice. Thank you Ariane from @ethosbooks for providing me with an arc. I strongly recommend everyone to read this and you can download a free copy from their website.
February 22, 2022
A collection of poems and essays released to coincide with 1 year since the Civil Disobedience Movement began in Myanmar, opposing the military coup.
Many people probably saw the viral clip of an aerobics instructor blithely doing a routine while a convoy of black vehicles entered the parliamentary complex. The video went viral, but people outside the country who didn't have friends or family there were shielded from the reality of the military takeover.
This book attempts to change this, collecting poems and essays from people in Myanmar, particularly focusing on the realities of military occupation and political corruption. In the editors note, the editors stress that these are 'witness poems and essays' bearing witness - and as such, at times not overtly political. A woman writes about the scent of musk as she walks down the street. A medical student participating in the protests writes his will. Poets remember friends now lost, and nights of singing and music. A protester recounts the harrowing journey of crossing the border to safety; another leaves Yangon to join a growing resistance movement. Through these stories you also gain a richer understanding of Myanmar, one which isn't captured in most international media coverage. You also gain an understanding of a rich literary tradition, often used to circumvent censorship through motifs and innuendo. Several of the poets featured in the book faced heavy sentences in prison for their work, some were shot while participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. You also see stories about ordinary people, from teachers to medical students, who came together in acts of extraordinary courage to save lives and provide sanctuary.
The book goes backwards in time, beginning in 2021 and ending in 1988 - through which you can also see continuities in life under military rule, and gain an understanding of a long tradition of varying forms of resistance. Highly recommended for those interested in a more nuanced picture of Myanmar than what is found in the news.
Many people probably saw the viral clip of an aerobics instructor blithely doing a routine while a convoy of black vehicles entered the parliamentary complex. The video went viral, but people outside the country who didn't have friends or family there were shielded from the reality of the military takeover.
This book attempts to change this, collecting poems and essays from people in Myanmar, particularly focusing on the realities of military occupation and political corruption. In the editors note, the editors stress that these are 'witness poems and essays' bearing witness - and as such, at times not overtly political. A woman writes about the scent of musk as she walks down the street. A medical student participating in the protests writes his will. Poets remember friends now lost, and nights of singing and music. A protester recounts the harrowing journey of crossing the border to safety; another leaves Yangon to join a growing resistance movement. Through these stories you also gain a richer understanding of Myanmar, one which isn't captured in most international media coverage. You also gain an understanding of a rich literary tradition, often used to circumvent censorship through motifs and innuendo. Several of the poets featured in the book faced heavy sentences in prison for their work, some were shot while participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. You also see stories about ordinary people, from teachers to medical students, who came together in acts of extraordinary courage to save lives and provide sanctuary.
The book goes backwards in time, beginning in 2021 and ending in 1988 - through which you can also see continuities in life under military rule, and gain an understanding of a long tradition of varying forms of resistance. Highly recommended for those interested in a more nuanced picture of Myanmar than what is found in the news.
April 10, 2022
“Even killing can be mass produced.”
February 1st 2021. The people of Myanmar wake up to a new devastating reality. The military coup crushed the efforts of the people for a just, democratic state, plunging everyone into turmoil. The democratically elected ruling party is removed from power. The junta is in control. The Spring Revolution is starting.
This brilliant anthology is a non-profit collaboration that puts forth the voices of the Burmese people fighting against the junta. It is cut into 3 parts presented in reverse chronological order. Starting with the 2021 military coup, it ends in 1988, a significant date for the state since it mirrors the events of 2021. The ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy is the backbone of these writings. There is a wide range of voices and formats, all witness accounts of the protests, the extreme police brutality, and the gruesome murders of peaceful protesters and activists. These personal accounts paint a haunting portrait of the events. Despite the very dark themes explored, what resurfaces time and again is people’s support for each other, their resilience, and bravery. “Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring” is a collective ode to justice, honouring those who didn’t survive in the face of oppression. Many poets and activists featured in this anthology are no longer alive. Their poems are usually introduced by touching eulogies that contextualise their work and efforts.
This is by far one of the best anthologies I’ve ever read. Please pick it up. The book is available for FREE as an e-book on the Ethos Books website.
TW: death, police brutality, torture, rape.
February 1st 2021. The people of Myanmar wake up to a new devastating reality. The military coup crushed the efforts of the people for a just, democratic state, plunging everyone into turmoil. The democratically elected ruling party is removed from power. The junta is in control. The Spring Revolution is starting.
This brilliant anthology is a non-profit collaboration that puts forth the voices of the Burmese people fighting against the junta. It is cut into 3 parts presented in reverse chronological order. Starting with the 2021 military coup, it ends in 1988, a significant date for the state since it mirrors the events of 2021. The ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy is the backbone of these writings. There is a wide range of voices and formats, all witness accounts of the protests, the extreme police brutality, and the gruesome murders of peaceful protesters and activists. These personal accounts paint a haunting portrait of the events. Despite the very dark themes explored, what resurfaces time and again is people’s support for each other, their resilience, and bravery. “Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring” is a collective ode to justice, honouring those who didn’t survive in the face of oppression. Many poets and activists featured in this anthology are no longer alive. Their poems are usually introduced by touching eulogies that contextualise their work and efforts.
This is by far one of the best anthologies I’ve ever read. Please pick it up. The book is available for FREE as an e-book on the Ethos Books website.
TW: death, police brutality, torture, rape.
December 16, 2022
this took me about a year to read, and probably the hardest 300 pages i've ever read. i think i saw a review where someone read the entire thing in one sitting — how? the poems/essays/stories in this collection are very personal, heavy, and some, graphic. it's an emotional rollercoaster, this read: the highs are high (i.e. the power of collective action in the face of adversity, the beauty of language), the lows are very low, some are badass as fuck, and some are just too twee for my liking. i think 300 pages is a little too much; maybe having all of these works published in several zines would have been more effective, but what do i know. curious to know what other hong kongers feel about this anthology, as hong kong without us came to mind quite often as i was reading this.
there are three pieces in particular that live rent free in my head: the two words i hate most (dialogue partner), spring (nga ba), and burma's siberia (kyi zaw aye). and seriously, hats off to ko ko thett and brian haman esp for the translated pieces.
there are three pieces in particular that live rent free in my head: the two words i hate most (dialogue partner), spring (nga ba), and burma's siberia (kyi zaw aye). and seriously, hats off to ko ko thett and brian haman esp for the translated pieces.
April 7, 2024
There are simply no words to describe how beautiful and relevant this collection is. Spanning essays, poetry and prose from the beginning of the Spring Revoltuion (post-1988 revolution) to the current position Myanmar finds itself in (a post-2021 February Coup world) this collection of writings never fails to fill me with real emotion, care and longing for Myanmar's freedom. I pray every day for Myanmar and their revolutionary forces.
dropped
April 21, 2022Not a big fan of the format
January 9, 2025
Outstanding anthology documenting the words of Myanmar's courageous voices...
October 5, 2025
very heart warming books, lots of perspective in regards to the Myannar civil war from the perspective of ordinary citizens. recommended to read especially for the southeast asian counterparts.
February 3, 2022
jezu kochanx….. jakie piękne …….
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