The Persian and The Poet

Join the celebration!

Launching Cameron‘s brand-new book: 

'A Complete Anthology of My First Kisses + other suites and sequels – a life in poems 1974 to 2024'. 

Published by Wattle & Willow Books, Oct 2024. 

Champagne is popped! 

Poems are shared: 

4 from the book and 

1 fresh Farsi translation of one of Cameron's poems.

Ramak interviews Cameron:

Why does this book exist? 

Why be so vulnerable in your art? 

Why poetry?

Poem 1:

'A poem with late night whiskey on an anniversary' by Cameron Semmens.

Music: 'He died for all of us' by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Rutger Hoedemaekers from the album: Trapped (Original Television Series Soundtrack).

Poem 2.

'A poem with a hint of champagne on a wedding day' by Cameron Semmens.

Music: 'I remember everything' by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Rutger Hoedemaekers from the album: Trapped (Original Television Series Soundtrack).

Poem 3. 

'Jewel of The Mythic Hollows' by Cameron Semmens.

Music: 'Aether' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album: Without Sinking

Poem 4.

The Farsi translation of 'Jewel of The Mythic Hollows': 

جواهرِ دره‌های اسطوره‌ای

Translation by Ramak Bamzar with assistance from ChatGPT A

Music: 'Aether' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album: Without Sinking

Poem 5. 

'Jewel of Unknown Value Found in The Pocket of an Op-shop Suitcase' by Cameron Semmens.

Music: 'Aether' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album: Without Sinking

Theme music: 

'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt 2' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.

Additional music, beneath or between conversation:

'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com

'He died for all of us' by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Rutger Hoedemaekers from the album: Trapped (Original Television Series Soundtrack).

'I remember everything' by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Rutger Hoedemaekers from the album: Trapped (Original Television Series Soundtrack).

'Aether' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album: Without Sinking.

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 

https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 

or https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

On the one year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, Ramak and Cameron discuss 'Pro Femina' – Ramak's brand new work on display at The Art Gallery of Ballarat as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale... as well as the impact of Mahsa's death and its implications for so many people.

Theme music: 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt 2' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.

Poem: 'Body under a sheet' by Cameron Semmens.

Music behind poem: 'Ascent' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album 'Without Sinking'.

Additional music: Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens.

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar.

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 

https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 

or https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

24... Woman! Life! Freedom!

Ramak and Cameron discuss the situation in Iran as of Oct 2022, and explore their creative responses to the situation.

Poem 1: 'Say Her Name' written by Cameron Semmens, September 2022. Spoken by Cameron Semmens and Ramak Bamzar. Poem 1 music: 'Lovely Bones' by Natalie Jeffreys. https://www.facebook.com/natalie.jeffreys

Poem 2: 'Soil' by Adib al-Mamalek Farahani (1860 - 1917), an Iranian poet, writer and journalist. Poem 2 music: 'Clouds' by Rod Gear, from the album 'The Wood That Sings'.

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 

https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 

or https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

23... Say Her Name – poem by Cameron Semmens

A poem calling for justice and freedom in Iran, written in response to the the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the 'morality police'.

Poem : 'Say Her Name' written by Cameron Semmens, September 2022. Spoken by Cameron Semmens and Ramak Bamzar.

Music : 'Lovely Bones' by Natalie Jeffreys. https://www.facebook.com/natalie.jeffreys

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 

https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 

or

https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

Say Her Name                            

hair in wind

free of scarf

men in power

crush the flower

stick to skull

skull to wall

girl on floor

blood in brain                      

say her name             

say her name

rose on grave

fire online

slap from hand

rose in cheek 

fire in eyes

fire in street

thorn in heart

youth abloom

rose in hand 

rise for change                     

say her name             

say her name

tear in eye

blur of lies

tear on tongue

taste of fear

salt in wound

sting of hate

stink of rot

taste the truth

hint of spice

hot on tongue                      

say her name             

say her name

fist in air

hair in wind

knife to curls

hair a flag

truth a flame

girls ablaze

death a spark

birth of new

scarf on fire

burn the ties

burn the lies                         

say her name             

say her name

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini            

Mahsa Amini

Poem 1: 'Colonisation' by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar.

Music: 'On The Fly' by M. Carney.

Poem 2: 'Ghazal 164' by Hafez.

Music: 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt. 3.' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1. (Persian Music)’.

Additional music: 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet

Cam memorialising in a poem the very first time he heard a poem spoken in Persian back in late 2019 ... it was shared by a fascinating, arty woman he'd just met ... she goes by the name of Ramak!

Additional music: 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt 2' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.

Production and editing – Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com

Photography and graphic design – Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com

The Persian: Ramak Bamzar.

The Poet: Cameron Semmens.

All poems from the book ‘Upside Drowning – poems from the edge of the ocean’, by Cameron Semmens; available through www.webcameron.com

Poem 1: ‘Listening to The Ocean’ by Cameron Semmens

Poem 2: ‘Curious Fragments of Memory’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘A Thousand Goodnights’ from the album: ‘Tears of The Candle’  by M. Carney.

Poem 3: ‘The Lips of The Sea’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘Erupting Light’ from the album ‘Without Sinking’ by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Jóhann Jóhannsson.

Poem 4: ‘The Dream of Oblivion’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘Circular’ from the album ‘Without Sinking’ by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Jóhann Jóhannsson.

Additional background music: ‘On The Doorstep’ and ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com

Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet

Poem 1: The Swifts in The Willow by Cameron Semmens; 

translation by Ramak Bamzar. 

Music: ‘Overcast’ by Hildur Gudnadottir & Johann Johannsson, 

from the album ‘Without Sinking’.

Poem 2: Futile Magic by Fereydoon Moshiri;

translation by Frank Moshiri (2015).

Music: ‘Avaze Bayate Esfahan’ from the album 

‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.

Production and editing – Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 

Photography and graphic design – Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 

Ramak shares about Nowruz – the symbology and her experiences.

Cameron surprises her with a brand new poem: Standing in Love

Enjoy!

In essence, this episode – The Fall of The Willow – is a spoken-word album, which you can listen to in one continuous stream.

It's a curated compilation consisting of each one of Cameron Semmens' original poems translated and recited by Ramak Bamzar in the 2020 podcast season.

These gorgeous translations have been brought together to create a single half-hour of swirling, twirling, whispered and hollered words declared and confided to YOU – our dear listener. May love and wonder seep into your bones...

NOTE: If you'd like to listen to Cameron's original poems in English, go to the previous episode: 16... SPECIAL: The Fall of The Willow – online album (all of Cam's poems from the 2020 season)

The poems:

1 :  As I Stand on Edge of The Park

2 : What Happened in The Forest?

3 : Still Trying To

4 : The Father of Butterflies

5 : Come Into Me

6 : They are a secret

7 : In The Mountains

8 : Petalled Pillows and Thorny Sheets – Part 1

9 : Petalled Pillows and Thorny Sheets – Part 2

10 : Rapid ‘I’ Movement Towards You

11 : The Mind is a Yacht, The Heart an Oil Tanker

12 : Upon Approaching a Dead Person in a Hospice

13 : The Wattle and The Willow

Title song : 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com

1 :  Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com

2 : Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com

3 : ‘Chasm’ from the album ‘Separate Journeys’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.com

4 : ‘Viewed from The Climb’ from the album ‘Separate Journeys’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.com

5 : ‘God’ from the album ‘Henotic’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.com

6 : ‘Frederique’ by Michael Carney.

8 : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com

9 : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com 

10 : ‘Love her and she will watch over you’ by Luke Pittman

11 : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com

12 : ‘Frederique’ by Michael Carney.

13 : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com