Lee Fraser

You Say Heart Names

Written using the Swadesh 207-word list: words that are stable and almost universal across the world’s languages.

I hold old, dirty, wet fruit
I push long tongue, I spit
You see, you throw
You say rotten
You wipe, you wash

I see sharp red dog mouth
I squeeze hand, I pull you
You yell, you hold
You say fear
We breathe, you sing

I play and fall
They laugh, eye water flows
You come, we walk
You say small
You and I stand straight

You say I not swim in big river
I hit, I scratch
You turn, you rub
You say sharp heart
I dig, we breathe

Wind blows good yellow feather far
I hunt: not here, not there
You know, you hear
You say heavy
We sit, you give one new feather

I see bird with warm eggs
I swell, I count
You hear, you come
You say full heart
We turn and sing

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Lee Fraser grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand, was a linguist in Papua New Guinea and Kenya in her 20s, collided with domesticity in Aotearoa during her 30s, and later rediscovered health through poetry. In 2024 she had 22 pieces accepted for publication internationally, and came fourth in the NZ poetry slam. Lee writes to excavate human quirks, vices and dignity. She is also fascinated with the ordinary as meaningful and/or spectacular. Her work covers hilarity, heartbreak, the humdrum, and hesitant hope. She also loves music, plants and dietary requirements victories. www.leefraserpoetry.com Instagram: @leefraserpoetry

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