Announcing the winner of the 7th “Arthur Halvajian Memorial” Armenian Poetry Competition - College age category

Congratulations to Elizabeth Minasian who is this year's winner in college age category. 

All this Armenian?

People tell me

What is with you and all this Armenian?

And I tell them, For me,

This Armenian says

Welcome!

Come in have coffee, have tea

Have ​gata ​and have ​chir

This Armenian for me is the music fanatic

you can call Elvina Makarian

an identity-searching art enthusiast dubbed Arshile Gorky

and the knowledge thirsty, language pundit some know as Khachatur Abovyan

This Armenian for me is the hard-working, passionate, hearty, yet underrepresented being

This Armenian for me is the lover of ​hogh yev jur

The admirer of motherland and fatherland

This Armenian for me is community

Intertwined into one, small, dynamic being

This Armenian for me is William Saroyan, who wanted to

Erase his roots but could not

This Armenian for me is Komitas 

who built our national music
through seemingly insignificant human steps

Resulting a universal leap

This Armenian for me is Garegin Nzhdeh,
Davit Bek,
Kevork Chavush
The ordinary soldier
Fighters, Persisters, Protectors

This Armenian for me is the brave 

Journalist, who empowers diverse 

people with a composition notebook and
a plane ticket

This Armenian for me is 

a Modest poet
trying to get a few people to change 

their views, and learn a thing
Or two

Thus, before I leave, I tell them,

The Armenian for me is what it should be for you

Announcing the winner of the 7th “Arthur Halvajian Memorial” Armenian Poetry Competition - Student category

The winner in the Students category (ages 12-17) is Sophie Youssefian for her sonnet, Dreams.

Dreams

Dreams are things that people hold on to,
and with bare hands I carry my dreams with me,
but dreams leave scars, maybe one or two,
good thing they heal when I set them free.
The constellation formed a magical heart,
and the bright sun slowly fades in the west.
Nothing in the world can tear this apart
because this scene is probably the best.
The happy pictures of us were shattered,
and your sweet laugh still lingers in my heart.
But our constellation hadn't mattered
because our hurting dreams tore us apart.
And all stars eventually have to die,
but our sad stars had already gone by.


Congratulations to the winner! Ms Youssefian is a sixth grade student at St. Gregory's A. & M. Hovsepian School, Pasadena, California. Many thanks to Shahé Mankerian, Principal.

Susan Barba to Present New Collection of Poems. Thursday, May 11, in New York City

Poet, translator and editor Susan Barba will present her first collection of poetry entitled Fair Sun at the Zohrab Center on Thursday, May 11 at 7pm in the Guild Hall of the Armenian Diocese.

Eleven years and growing...

Today is the 11th anniversary of the Armenian Poetry Project. We will celebrate it as we often do, quietly, reading poetry and happy to have achieved a few key points. 

We remain the only website providing audio and text RSS feeds of poems written by Armenians, as well as contemporary authors on Armenian subject matters. 

We continue providing all internet surfers free access to the webpage and audio downloads 24/7/365 via RSS, Twitter and iTunes.

We invite you to join our readers in celebrating APP's broad spectrum
 - independent research of the best Armenian poetry we can find  
- gems by authors from the 19th century to the present
- introduction to out of print books, periodicals and digitized archives
- an index by authors and countries
- experimental works by contemporary authors
- introduction of budding authors, including the APP/ASA poetry competition winners, now in its 7th year
- different languages of expression, mostly Armenian, English or French, with translations provided whenever possible

This project is curated and produced by Lola Koundakjian in New York. To contact APP, send an email to: ArmenianPoetryProject[at]gmail[dot]com.

If YOU ENJOY this website, please consider making a donation via Paypal.com by clicking on the button below. Your donations help maintain the audio website, buy books and replace equipment for the recordings as well as research in libraries. 

հայերէն՝ To view the Armenian characters, setup your browser to view UNICODE (UTF-8) as the character's encoding.




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AARON POOCHIGIAN's SONG: GO AND DO IT

Leap Niagara, ask a Mountie
where they keep the joie de vivre,
then cruise down to Orange County,
surf the curl and smoke some reefer.
Ride class fives in the Cascades,
water-ski the Everglades,
. . . .go, go, go
. . . .until you know
precisely where the Good Times flow.

Hitchhike through the heartland, travel
wide, acquire a taste for tillage.
Where the asphalt turns to gravel
settle down in some quaint village—
cloudy, clear or partly sunny,
your new Land of Milk and Honey
. . . .will appear
. . . .much like here
but less suburban, more sincere.

Search through endless desert places
for the perfect little spot.
When at last some plush oasis
tallies with the spa you sought,
think of me and write a letter
gloating over how much better
. . . .life is there—
. . . .I’ll still swear
we could be happy anywhere.

This poem has appeared in Autumn Sky Poetry Daily

Reminder: Our annual poetry writing competition ends soon

As in the past six years, the ASA, Inc. is partnering the Armenian Poetry Project for the writing competition named in honor of the late Arthur Halvajian. The 2017 competition is now open and the deadline for submissions is April 30. The competition winners will be announced by the jury in May 2017.

All individuals of Armenian descent, residing in the United States and Canada are invited to submit their work in English or Armenian for the competition. Entries should be e-mailed by April 30, 2017 to ArmenianPoetryProject@gmail.com with the subject heading “Halvajian ASA/APP Poetry competition”. Only one original unpublished poem per individual may be submitted.

The competition groups submissions into three categories: students (ages 12-17), college age (ages 18-22), and adult (ages 23 and older). A top prize will be awarded for each of the categories in the amounts of US $75 (students), $125 (college age), and $300 (adult).

Each poem submitted for the competition must be accompanied by the author’s full name, age, and home address/telephone number. Students must include school name and sponsoring teacher’s telephone number. You can learn more about the Armenian Poetry Project by visiting http://armenian-poetry.blogspot.com.

Փանոս Ճերանեան։ Քամի

Click to hear the audio segment.

Պատանեկան տարիներուս
Օր մը ինծի սիրոյ մասին շշնջացիր
Եւ շուտափոյթ հեռացար
Ըսէ, հիմա ծիածանի ո՞ր մէկ կողմը
Քեզ փնտրեմ
Այդ երբեմնի շշուկդ ջերմ
Կրկին անգամ
լսելու …


***



Սէր իմ
արեւը մայր կը մտնէ ամէն օր,
Օրը կը մթագնի ամէն օր,
Դուն կը մնաս գիշեր-ցերեկ ամէն օր։





Փանոս Ճերանեան Մոնրէալ
Այս բանաստեղծութիւնը լոյս տեսած է ՄԱՐՄԱՐԱ թերթին 16 Մարտ 2017 թիւին մէջ

Արտասանական Մրցոյթ՝ Թորոնթոյի Հայ Կեդրոնին մէջ ( Armenian Community Centre)

ԹԱՄԱՐ ՏՕՆԱՊԵՏԵԱՆ-ԳՈՒԶՈՒԵԱՆ։ Գիշե՛ր Բարի, Մարիա՛մ…

Ներշնչուած` «Լոսթ պըրտզ» ժապաւէնէն

Արեւը իր հրեղէն շունչը փչեց դէպ՛ երկինք,
Ու կարմիր շղարշը նետեց լեռներու ետին։
Դաշտերուն մէջ, զեփիւռը քնքուշ`
Ցորեանները մեղմ օրօրելով,
Թռչնակի չուերթին հետ օրուան հրաժեշտը տուաւ։

Գիշե՛ր բարի, Մարիա՛մ.
Գոցէ աչքերդ փայլուն. թող մանուկ հոգիդ ճախրէ՜ անկաշկանդ
Դէպի երազդ ծաղկաւէտ, ուր իշխան-իշխանուհի,
Ձեռք ձեռքի տուած` արեւի պայծառ շողերուն ներքեւ,
Թիթեռներուն հետ կ՛երգեն գարունքը մեր աշխարհի։

Քուն եղիր, Մարիա՛մ.
Սիրասուն գլուխդ հանգչեցուր քարեղէն բարձին,
Թող հոգւոյդ մէջ իջնէ շողը աստղերուն
Ու գրկէ տանի քեզ այս քար աշխարհէն,
Դէպի մանկութեան ծոցը լուսեղէն։

Տանի այն դղեակը գունագեղ,
Ուր չկա՜ն չար հողմեր, չկա՜ն ագռաւներ…
Կայ միայն օրհնա՜նք.
Կան աստուածային բոյրը տաք հացին,
Մօր քնքշանքն ու կենսուրախ այտեր ջերմագին։

Տանի հո՜ն` ուր կը լսուին խինդ ու ծիծաղ,
Ուր կապոյտ թռչնակի թաւիշը կը շոյէ դէմքդ գողտրիկ.
Ձեռքդ տուր, Մարիա՛մ,
Ձեռքդ տուր, վազենք դէպի ծիածանը մեր հոգւոյն,
Վազենք դէպի տո՜ւն։

Թորոնթօ

Այս բանաստեղծութիւնը լոյս տեսած է ԱԶԴԱԿ-ի մէջ։ http://www.aztagdaily.com/archives/332580

Alice Christy: Last Cry of the Duduk

In memory of Serpouhi Kenjosian

Once it is right, it writes its own;
when it is red, it is read wrong.
Once it is written, leave it alone;
when it is read, pray, hum along.

When it is red, it is read wrong;
(I chose music with sorrow's tone…)
when it is read, pray, hum along.
(…to it paired movement, stone on stone.)

I chose music with sorrow's tone,
and danced I, for your days bygone.
To it, paired movement–stone on stone–
so dance I, for my tomorrow’s dawn.

And danced I, for your days bygone,
for a duduk’s cry haunts soul with poem…
So dance I, for my tomorrow’s dawn.
Pray, Fate, drink not the ancient’s Jeroboam.

For a duduk’s cry haunts soul with poem.
(Once it is written, leave it alone.)
Pray, Fate, drink not the Ancient’s Jeroboam.
(Once it is right, it writes its own.)

Alice Christy is the poetry pseudonym of writer Bethel Swift whose great-grandmother, Sarah Nahabedian, was a survivor of the Armenian Genocides. Though much of her story remains untold, what is known is that Sarah came to the U.S. shortly after surviving a long desert march in which she lost her mother and young child (her first husband was also killed). Her second husband, Pilos Kenjosian, sent money for her passage because he wanted to rescue a woman from his home country. They married and named their oldest daughter Serpouhi. When she was small, her father would rock her to sleep weeping for his murdered relatives, and crying, "Oh Mayrig, Mayrig...". Because of this, Serpouhi became known as "Mary" instead.

The poet's grandmother, Serpouhi "Mary" Kenjosian

Alice Christy

Celebrating National Poetry Month

Established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets (NYC), the occasion represents an opportunity for poets and poetry lovers of all persuasions to express their love of verse.

Մատթէոս Զարիֆեան։ՁՄԵՌ ԻՐԻԿՈՒՆ

Դագաղի պէս նեղ օրեր,
Գերեզմանի փայտեայ խաչի պէս տխուր...
Դեռ երա՞զ, սէ՞ր -
Զո՜ւր է, զո՜ւր...
Գերեզմանի փայտեայ խաչի պէս տըխուր... ։

Ահա կ՚անցնին դիակի գոյն երկինքէն՝
Խուճապահար տարմերն անբախտ ագռաւի...
Ջարդէ փախչող մարդերու պէս կը հեծե՜ն.
Երկնքին մէջ ալ կը ջարդե՜ն՝ երեւի...

Ու փոթորկոտ իրիկունով,
Նախիրն ահա՝ լեռներուն մէջ ցանուցիր...
Ո՞վ գրեց, ո՞վ,
Կեանքի օրէնքը կարմիր... ։

*

Այս առտու,
Մարդ մը հուժկու
-Որ ունէր բիրտ ու արիւնոտ աչուըներ-
Մեծ կացինով մը ջարդեց
Լելակի ծառ մը տարէց։

Խորհեցայ թէ, երբ իյնար
Ծառն իր վըտիտ հասակով՝
Այն մարդն անշուշտ պիտի լար.
Ան հեռացաւ սուլելո՜վ...

Ո՞վ գրեց, ո՜վ... ։

*

Ահա կոչնակն Հայ ժամուն.
Հիմա հարկաւ մութ գըռիհններն են լեցուն,
Հայ մայրերով, մամերով,
Որ ժամ կ՚երթան իրկուն-առտու՝
Աւետարանն համբուրելու... ։

Անոնց տըժգոյն բերաններէն,
Հարկաւ, նորէն
Պիտի քակուի աղօթքն երկար՝
Մեռելներուն հոգւոյն համար... ։

Յետոյ անոնք, հարկաւ, նորէ՛ն
Իրենց տժգոյն բերաններով պիտի ներեն՝
Նոյնի՛սկ, նոյնի՛սկ թշնամիի՜ն...

Ու երբ մեկնին
Դողդողուն՝
Պիտի նորէ՛ն ունենան
Յիսուսի Ձեռքը շուշան՝
Ուսերնուն.. ։

*

Իրիկնամուտ, երկինքն ինչպէ՜ս կ բռընկի...
Աստուա՜ծ, Աստուա՜ծ,
Մարդիկ՝ ծունկի՝
Կարծես կ՚այրի՜ն,
Դիւային
Սա ամպերուն մէջ նետուած...

Ու կարծես թէ՝
Հեռուն,
Գլխատուած մարդ մ՚աստղերուն
Դե՜ռ կ՚աղօթէ
Բազկատարած. -
Աստուա՜ծ, Աստուա՜ծ... ։

*

Մա՜հ։
Ո՞վ է հըզօր իրեն պէս։
Մա՜հ, մա՜հ...
Պէտք է դընել, վերջապես,
Մեր հոգիները յըստակ՝
Իր երկարած սուրին տակ...
Ժըպտելո՜վ... ։

Ո՜վ գրեց, ո՜վ...

ՄԵԾ ԿՂԶԻ, ԱՊՐԻԼ 1923

Մատթէոս Զարիֆեան։ ԱՊՐԻԼԻ ՀՈՎԸ

Ապրիլի հովն աղջիկ մ՚է՝
Վարդ-մանիշակ շըրթներով...
Ապրիլի հովը, սակայն,
Երբ ըլլայ մո՜ւթ-մո՜ւթ գիշեր,
Աստուածուհի՜ կը դառնայ՝
Խենթեցընող համբոյրով... ։

1923

Յովհաննէս Ասպետ: ԿՐԱԿ ՈՒ ՄՈԽԻՐ

Այլեւս չեմ մտածում բեղումնավոր,
Քանի դեռ թանձրանում է սրտիս թախիծը.
Վա՜խ, անցել են տարիները ուղղեմոլոր,
Տանելով իրենց հետ իմ լուսե երազը:

Մ՛ի զղջում լռեցրել է իմ հոգին,
Տեսնում եմ որ հույլորեն անհետացել է,
Իր անփոխարինելի սերը՝ անգին,
Նրա երազը՝ ինձանից հեռացել է:

Արծաթափայլ հուշերի՝ ցոլքեր երբեմնի,
Տեղափոխում են իմ միտքը աղետալի,
Երբոր հոգուս կորովը՝ անհույս հատնի,
Փութով տանում են ինձ վայրեր սիրելի:

Երազը՝ մոլեգին այդ լույս օրերի,
Նրանց ջերմ շոյանքը՝ անցել են ինձանից.
Ա՜խ, վաղաժամ մարած մի կրակից,
Մնացել են մոխիրները երեկի:


Յովհաննէս Ասպետ, «Սիրոյ Քնար»
06/1973

Lory Bedikian's upcoming reading at Claremont Libray, Claremont, California

ASA Announces 2017 Arthur Halvajian Memorial Armenian Poetry Competition

The Armenian Students’ Association, Inc. recently announced the start of its seventh annual poetry competition. As in the past six years, the ASA, Inc. is partnering the Armenian Poetry Project for the writing competition named in honor of the late Arthur Halvajian, a trustee who led its Board in sponsoring the first competition. The 2017 competition is now open and the deadline for submissions is April 30. The competition winners will be announced by the jury in May 2017.

“Over the past six years we have received hundreds of entries from across North America and continue to be impressed with the creativity, quality and range of poems. We look forward to reaching out to even more communities in the coming months,” said Alice Movsesian, a member of the ASA, Inc. Board of Trustees as well as its liaison to the competition's organizing committee.

ASA national board secretary M. Manoog Kaprielian sees the poetry competition as a particularly meaningful window of expression for Armenians who endured as Azerbaijan refugees out of and survivors of the ongoing war in Syria, who have settled throughout the United States and Canada. “We will do all that we can to reach out wherever they may be”, stated Kaprielian.

The Armenian Poetry Project lead by poet Lola Koundakjian, is a research and documentation site for 19th to 21st century Armenian poems and related topics. Currently containing over 2,500 poems, it is celebrating its 11th anniversary this year. APP has a worldwide following and releases poems through RSS feeds, Twitter and podcasting.

All individuals of Armenian descent, residing in the United States and Canada are invited to submit their work in English or Armenian for the competition. Entries should be e-mailed by April 30, 2017 to ArmenianPoetryProject@gmail.com with the subject heading “Halvajian ASA/APP Poetry competition”. Only one original unpublished poem per individual may be submitted.

The competition groups submissions into three categories: students (ages 12-17), college age (ages 18-22), and adult (ages 23 and older). A top prize will be awarded for each of the categories in the amounts of US $75 (students), $125 (college age), and $300 (adult).

Each poem submitted for the competition must be accompanied by the author’s full name, age, and home address/telephone number. Students must include school name and sponsoring teacher’s telephone number. You can learn more about the Armenian Poetry Project by visiting http://armenian-poetry.blogspot.com.

The Armenian Students’ Association of America, Inc. encourages educational pursuits by Armenians in America and the raising of their intellectual standards, providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships to deserving Armenian students, developing fellowship among them, cultivating in them the spirit of service in the public interest, and acquainting them and the entire American community with Armenian culture.

Shahe Mankerian: WHERE I WAS BORN

Twenty years later, we went back to Beirut

and stood in front of CMC Hospital
for a photograph. We couldn’t go

inside because during the war,
it burned down, not because of misguided bombs,
but because a doctor set himself on fire

after they wheeled his dead wife
into the Emergency. Years later, hollyhock
bushes and wild fig trees covered the pink

and black walls of the entrance.
Militiamen had posted pictures of martyrs
on the crooked wall that separated

the sidewalk from the front lawn.
The statue of Virgin Mary with broken
hands cried near a dehydrated water fountain.

This poem appeared in Poetry City, USA, Vol. 6. 

Shahe Mankerian: HAPPY BIRTHDAY—ON THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF GORKY’S SUICIDE

Today you will have breakfast, two hardboiled eggs 

and squeeze blood oranges. Today you will save

the peeled shells to feed the mad waterfalls in your head.
Today your fingers will feel pain without paint.

You cover the canvas with the Mother’s face.
Today you will remove the clothespins from the clothesline.

You will need the rope and the sunshine of your studio.
You will need a sturdy chair and the ceiling fan.

Today will mark another birthday as you swing lightly in midair,
suspended like the butcher’s meat back in the city of Van.

This poem appeared in Poetry City, USA, Vol. 6. 

Aaron Poochigian: Song: Defiantly of Love

Meet her at Grand Central Station
and walk her down under the bridge
where the wild kids play in the street all day
and your neighbor, a passionate Haitian,
sings ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically of love.
Feed her potatoes au gratin,
meatloaf and corn on the cob
when the couple upstairs quarrels and swears,
and all the rats in Manhattan
sing discordantly, discordantly, discordantly of love.
Worship her like a religion,
like Mary the Mother of God,
while he-dogs compete for a she-dog in heat
and a lonesome grizzled pigeon
sings obsessively, obsessively, obsessively of love.
Promise to love her forever
and always, come what may,
while the basso bum with his bottle of rum
and the post-industrial river
sing defiantly, defiantly, defiantly of love.




This poem appeared in Don't Talk to Me about Love