Untitled - Azam Abidov - poet and translator

VIKI HOLMES
Viki Holmes is a widely anthologised and prize-winning British
poet and performer who began her writing career in Cardiff as part of
the Happy Demon poetry collective. She has been living and writing in
Hong Kong since 2005. Her poetry has appeared in literary magazines
(including the Asia Literary Review) and anthologies in Wales, England,
Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Macao and Singapore. She was twice a
finalist in the John Tripp Award for spoken Poetry (Wales), and was a
runner-up in Hong Kong’s inaugural Poetry Slam. Her first collection,
miss moon’s class is published by Chameleon Press (Hong Kong) and
she is co-editor of the Haven (Hong Kong) anthology of world women’s
writing Not A Muse.
Questions to ask a phoenix
What does it mean, to be made out of light?
Do you miss the dark?
What do you know of the colour green?
Is cold a word you know?
Come to mention it, do you think in words?
What is your opinion of salamanders?
To be always starting again, is that reassuring?
How do you decide when to stop?
Is it like swimming, being made of fire?
I can only think that it might be like being a fish.
Or, how does it feel when you are burning up?
Do you feel old? How long does a fire last?
Are you lonely? Is there anything you want?
When you pray, do you close your eyes?
Do you see god?
What does it mean, to be alive?
Do you remember?
52