The Poetry That Became Non Solus

Before it was a breathtaking display of trust performed by two acrobatic figures searching for the truth of our commonality, Non Solus existed as several lines of poetry inspired by the vast emptiness and beauty of the Atacama desert in South America. There, Bence Vági (writer, director, and choreographer of Non Solus) found himself reflecting on the idea of connectedness.

Photo: Tamás Réthey-Prikke

I could not wake you up; you were fast asleep
and I was left alone in the middle of the desert
with an exalted heart

I took out my sketchbook and drew the world,
scene by scene, what it meant for me: not alone.
Non Solus.
For you.
Then you woke up…

Photo: Roland Pozsonyi

We all want to be.
To compensate nothingness with our existence -
seeking for life across darkness;
Searching for light - and when we find light,
We grow to understand that darkness will appear once again.
In between we search for love.

Photo: Roland Pozsonyi

I watched you from a distance.
You were calm and proud.
The beat in my chest changed to the perfect pace
of the universe - an unexpected rhythm.

A touch, like elements connecting to each other.
Like a grip on a trapeze in the air, where life is at stake.
Your departure left me in the middle of nowhere,
a lonely star in darkness.

Photo: Roland Pozsonyi

Maybe we share a common piece of an ancient soul.
Some days I don’t think of you.
Some nights you are the star in the sky.
My addiction, the sky.

Photo: Roland Pozsonyi

“Non Solus is not about being alone, it is about connectedness—how two souls look for and find each other, how body and soul are connected—as represented by Renátó [Illés] and Gábor [Zsíros] on stage,” says Vági.

Non Solus comes to BAM this February. A sublime duet of tension and synchronicity, Illés and Zsíros take to the stage with no net to catch their fall, reminding us of our shared primordial past and expression of our present humanity.

Poems published with permission from the author.
Top photo: Tamás Réthey-Prikkel

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