QASSIM HADDAD

La Maison de la Poésie au Maroc

Currently,
The poem is no longer the sole and final destination of poetry.

The poem is one of the many countless destinations, or forms, or genres of poetry as a vision and revelation. Poetry is, day after day, breaking free from traditional limits, far beyond the poem, out into fresh air, represented in things relating to Man and the World. Poetry has become the aesthetic condition in every type of artistic expression, as in every form of life.

As poetry breaks free from its propagandistic function, surroundings, and constraints, be these compulsory goals or duties, it embarks along with its own dreams on a journey to the farthest horizons, beyond the overall collapses that affect people as they push against each other towards the gates of their abducted future. Poetry is not a servant to anyone, especially at this very moment of history when mankind is suffering the horrific ordeal of genocide, poverty and exploitation. Poetry is what liberates us from the intrigues and traps lying in wait for our terror-stricken footsteps.

Poetry is currently the only passion that might save humanity from total extermination on this planet. For, while the world keeps regressing towards remote past ages, poetry can hold on to the unique light leading to the next cosmic step when Man takes on the writing attitude…and starts reading.

Currently,
The human experience, despite its incorporation of poetry, should admit the incapacity of the latter to confront and combat wars as well as keep up with the daily course of existence. At the same time, that which poetry cannot change is exactly that which gives it its continuous power to resist and keep free from the daily, political, and ideological constraints, to ultimately remain a witness to all the collapses without itself ever collapsing. The least poetry can do is resist change.

Thanks to poetry we understand the mortal menace looming on the entire human race through various traditional and modern means. However, this should not be a reason to give in to this menace and to its mortal paths.
No matter what degree of violence different regimes and authorities deploy to crush human life, it is not for poetry to see violence as a response to the questions and weaponry of life.

Based on the dynamics of history, those who rule by violence should realize that poetry is what provides us with the mysterious power of love thanks to which we make what dies in us live on.

The poetry we head towards and never reach, the ultimate human discourse, will always be our source of peace in moments of fear, and our comfort in moments of loss, healing our wounds at the slaughter hour.

Poetry is our unparalleled beauty when it’s not an ornament in the tyrants’ shoes, and our glory when it’s not a word of hypocrisy and deceit.

This is the poetry we hearken to more than we try to write,
And the poetry we adore without idolizing,
The poetry that feels like a new breath of life in every new piece of writing.

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