HILARY ELFICK

Ella


When I do not think of you
I stroll along a track
to find a fresco long-abandoned by a fireplace
five arched windows of an empty house
that is not safe to enter.

When I do not think of you
I sit waiting for the castle lamps
the whim of a lightmaster
content to pay no notice
to a rising moon that you can see.

When I do not think of you
I watch a gecko padding belly up
and draw a sliced tomato to my plate
and lift a fine-etched glass that trembles
with the colour of your infant skin.

When I do not think of you
I wander olive groves and persimmons
put up my hand to grasp
a growing peach and feel
your gums close firmly on my thumb.

Roxana-Monica Mîndrican

Hilary Elfick
 

Ella

Cand nu ma gandesc la tine
ma plimb de-a lungul unei poteci
sa gasesc o fresca demult uitata langa un semineu
cinci ferestre arcuite ale unei case abandonate
in care ar fi primejdios sa intri.

Cand nu ma gandesc la tine
stau asteptand felinarele de la castel
capriciul unui maestru al luminii
multumit sa nu acorde atentie
rasaritului lunii pe care tu il privesti.

Cand nu ma gandesc la tine
privesc o soparla* tarandu-se cu burta in sus
si imi pun in farfurie o rosie taiata
si ridic un pahar frumos gravat ce tremura
de culoarea pielii tale de copil.

Cand nu ma gandesc la tine
ratacesc prin paduricile de maslini si curmali*
imi ridic mana sa apuc
o piersica ce se coace si simt
gingiile tale apropiindu-se ferm de degetul meu mare.

*”gecko” in the original text- small to average sized lizards which are found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos.

*”persimmon”(“curmal japonez” in Romanian)- A persimmon, known to the ancient Greeks as "the fruit of the gods. Persimmons are generally light yellow-orange to dark red-orange in color, and depending on the species, vary in size. The Japanese Persimmon or kaki is the most widely cultivated species. These are sweet, slightly tangy fruits with a soft to occasionally fibrous texture.