In the debate between dubbing and subbing
I side with subs to savor the original
mellifluous French, Tamil, Korean, Italian...
Reading the subtitles assists the deaf
and hard of hearing although voiceovers
benefit the blind and vision impaired.
Historically dubbing was employed
by fascist governments to advance
the nationalist agenda. In our own time
the tendency to consider dubbers dumb
implies reading’s the indispensable skill.
My wife reads her mail while watching movies
so she prefers dubs. I admire her mastery
of two idioms simultaneously
but my limited bandwidth favors subs.
Categories:
subbing, film, french, international, language,
Form: Free verse
Snow 1956
Snowy night, streets were covered in a calm,
carpet of white and since it was Sunday morning,
with few cars about, the grubby town looked as
beautiful as a fairy tale; till Monday, when traffic
would churn snow into yellow, dirty slush and
people, in black or drab grey, would have mist
coming out of their mouths as they moaned about
the weather. In the park, the snow would last for
days and I could make my footprints large by
subbing my feet on white ground land contrasting
black trees and pale sky made for stark beauty; in
front of park benches where old men sat, talking
ships. Tobacco spittle. Winter 1956, colours only
appeared in comic strips, and in western movies.
Categories:
subbing, africa, allusion, bangla, blessing,
Form: Blank verse
The Big House
I could not live in a house with many people
Voices at all hour of the day no privacy the precious moment
When the world rolls slower and I can hear time`s clock tick
In a house full of people there is a din of violence to come
And whispering sin at night
Flushing toilets, subbing feet
The tears of the misbegotten those who are cheated on
Drunken brawl screams and police sirens.
TV that is full of banalities
Every news programs from the same supplier.
To live in a house full of people must be very lonely
With no time for reflection
Categories:
subbing, arabic, autumn, basketball, best
Form: Bio
if i had known that you were going to call her your world
would i have ever gotten attached?
if i had known she would be kissing you first
would i have ever let myself relax
because i told you i loved you, but how could we agree
that we'd only be friends, even though you loved me
yet you told me at night, that im worth more than any other girl
now i find your status, calling her that girl
that you wish you had never taken a single day apart
now im sitting here trying not to cry, with a broken heart
if i had known you would lie
would i have wasted my time
would i have talked to you all those long endless nights
as i cradeled that happiness inside
if i had known this wouldnt work
that you would be with some other girl
if i had known, would i have stopped myself
could i have stopped myself
from caring about you too much
from wanting to feel your touch across my skin
would you have told me if i had never found out
would you tell me what this was all about
or let me go on imagining that you were only mine
or is she just my replacement this time?
does she hold my space in your arms or is it me?
replacing, subbing, for this girl
Categories:
subbing, me, me,
Form: I do not know?