Երազ / Yeraz / Dream
Heat turns to water and water turns to input. When it rains my spirit throbs like an old broken bone, cradled in the tragedies of my ancestors. I think about my great-grandmother, Shamiram, survivor of the Armenian Genocide. Her name is derived from the Arabic root word meaning, “gentle breeze with a sweet fragrance.” The blow of the cool wind preserves her memory as her resilience hovers beneath the sun.
I used to ask my late grandmother, daughter of Genocide survivors, whose displaced diasporic roots were in Ethiopia—then eventually was displaced once more due to the civil war—how she was ever able to continue, to endure. She’d raise her fist and say powerfully, “will.”
The depraved nations of Israel, Azerbaijan, and Turkey will never take our will. We will never stop dreaming.
Each day I wake and I see things that do not come: recognition, justice, peace. Each night I empty my pockets and still feel the weight of it all. I go to sleep and I dream.
I mourn Artsakh and Palestine in the same breath; two co-occurring Genocides. Too many. If we could only be left alone for a quarter of a century. That is my dream.
Իմ երազըս ո՞ւր է։
[Where is my dream?]
Yeraz, yeraz, yeraz.
- ՆարաԱլիսԱվաքեան
by Nara Avakian
»>»>CONTRIBUTE TO GUNK’s COMPILATION ALBUM FOR GAZA<«<«
We’re organizing a compilation album to go up on Bandcamp on November 15th, will all proceeds for the album being donated in support of Palestinian liberation via Anera’s rapid response relief: distributing hygiene kits, food, and blood donations in Gaza. Submit an original song, a cover, a demo, voice memo, etc to us at thegunkyard@gmail.com, on or before November 4th for consideration. MP3 or WAV files accepted. Make sure to include the title, your name, and if it’s a cover, etc. it’s gunna be great, we can’t wait for you to hear it.
**unreleased songs preferred**
NOVEMBER SHOWS:
click it // go find it in the wild // let us know if you can help with physical distro //
november is always kind of a confusing month to me tbh
green is my favorite color though.
im addicted to every song on the gunk playlist right now
fin.
love u, hugs,
your editors
pic by Hannah Pruzinsky