Two Romanian Poems
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"Natural Bridge, Bermuda" by Winslow Homer, ca. 1901
Art

Two Romanian Poems

Ștefan Manasia
Reading
time 2 minutes

ARS ARMANDI

It is searing. Almost unbearable.
I washed the colored clothes.
On the balcony, the Guinea pigs
have a greasy fur. I cannot bring myself
to get them inside today either.
Two boxes of Indian scent sticks
I had sworn not to burn.
And the nightmare caresses my brain
like hair ends.
I am reading The Romantic Dogs.
I read Llorca again.
I fell asleep.
The phone woke me up.
It wasn’t you.

 

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POEM

I am a Hawaian swimmer. Fisherman
drawn to stories, angel fish, currents.
The ocean is warm and I can float for hours,
for days without drowning. Without wishing
to come back. To harpoon the ondulating backs.
Behind me, there are drums, smoke, the totemic wives
of a porcine king. In front of me, the marine highway,
the liquid skin of the planet. In my heart, there is
no distress -only love, ukulele song. Energetic stalks.
I am a fisherman. The goddess squeezes the grape berry
-I fall on the island of velvety magma: your bossom, Irina,
At the end of a far away journey.

Also read:

Magnet
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Illustration by Joanna Grochocka
Experiences

Magnet

Krystyna Dąbrowska

They didn’t live together, which meant
they had two fridges for their growing collection
of magnets. The prettiest lived on his.
Twin face of a woman: the moon part
looking at us, half-hidden behind the sun.
Playful battles ensued over that magnet,
his favorite: she stole it on the sly,
he grabbed her by the hand
to return that temporary plunder
to its central place
on the pantheon of the fridge.
Now, a half-year since their breakup,
they meet up in her courtyard
to exchange keys and books,
the first she’s seen him since that time.
Will he finally explain? “You look nice in that jacket.”
At home, like a robot, she hangs up the keys,
retrieves her books from the paper bag.
At the very bottom, she finds the magnet.

 

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