Writtten by Inthuch
Translated by Peera Songkünnatham
Tote bags from “Write the Country” initiative by Common Sense Poetry Network
[คลิกที่นี่เพื่ออ่าน “นักล้วง” ในต้นฉบับภาษาไทย]
The phrase “I don’t need sex because the government fucks me every day” has resonated with Thai people on both sides of the political divide over the past ten years, depending on who’s in charge of the government at each point in time. The following poem by Inthuch takes the theme and wordplay further by exploiting the Thai verb ล้วง (luáng, ‘manually insert’), which can be used to refer to pickpocketing, fisting, as well as probing for private information. The poem was first read in January 2022 at a performance by Common Sense Poetry Network at Manycuts Artspace | Ari in Bangkok. The extended analogy between political overreach and non-consensual fisting results in a disturbing imagery that makes clear, should a charge of obscenity come up, who is the offending party, how is the offense committed, and for whose pleasure.
⠀
damn it
goodness has been snatched from us
good people, that too
certain colors vanished from us
gold and silver, all of that too
i used to think a modicum of truth remained with us
unaware somebody had pinched it off
meaning, logic, regime, system, lover, family
⠀
the home of that old man, snatched
even the bus where she and i kissed madly on the last ride
some friends nonchalantly disappeared
love wrested away from us
a movie
a book that never smiles
a couple of letters, even that
i cant breathe
is my breath being snatched away now
⠀
is there anything more
what more is snatched away
is there anything left
⠀
almost nothing means what textbooks say
19 years gone
is this country still ours
since when did it vanish
the anger-spawned hope in our pockets
by the pinching of a blood-stained hand
⠀
the pickpocket no longer hides
rough fingers slip inside rifling through us
he inserts the index finger of command
the middle finger’s filthy vile swearing
the ring finger of slavish loyalty
the little finger of a promise in sin
and the thumb for approval and pushing execute
the whole fist sliding inside
of justice gaping, torn
he snatches away our horniness
in order to masturbate a certain someone
stick a hand inside their deep, crusty hole
is there anything more
what more is snatched away
is there anything left
⠀
our voice, snatched away now
⠀
is there anything
what else is snatched away
is anything left
⠀
time the only residual thing
however many watches are on that wrist
will not manage to snatch it from us
damn em
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