ANNE STEWART

Perception as a Furry Thing


Why must men sit so suggestively on trains?
This one is big and heavy. Aging new man,
a campaign of clean, oozing the cleverness of gym.
Legs wide apart and buttocks hunkered in,
of course, where else to slant his bottle down
but bang-slap-centre close up in between?
I toss about the he-does-he-doesn't-know of it;
appreciate the chunky awkwardness proclaiming,
in ebullient tone, that "It's a comfort thing".

But, then, that’s men. "Men come pre-validated"
according to the Stewart Theory of Easy Successful Men
(i.e. the ones who don't spend much time wondering what,
of anything they’ve ever done, they could do better than).
He stretches toes at me, looks me in the eye and grins,
fingers tightening on the bottle in his lap. I’m thinking
Cheek of him and Well, no mistake there then
when I spot the hat. Bang-slap-centre, the black
and softly furry hat I'm always cradling in mine.

Alina Blanaru

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru imblanit

De ce trebuie barbatii sa stea atat de insinuant in trenuri?
Acesta este gras si masiv. Un nou barbat ce imbatraneste,
o campanie a curateniei, emanand priceperea din sala de gimnastica.
Picioarele larg departate si sezutul ingropat
bineinteles, unde altundeva sa-si legene sticla
decat poc-trosc-la fix strans intre ele?
Ma intreb daca este-sau-nu-constient de gestul lui;
apreciez stangacia indesata care proclama,
cu o voce exuberanta, ca "E o chestie de confort".

Insa, apoi, asa sunt barbatii. "Barbatii vin pre-validati"
conform Teoriei lui Stewart despre Barbatii Usuratici de Succes
( de ex. cei care nu petrec prea mult timp intrebandu-se ce,
din orice-au facut vreodata, ar putea face mai bine).
Isi intinde picioarele spre mine, ma priveste in ochi si-mi zambeste,
strangand mai tare sticla din poala. Ma gandesc
Ce nerusinare din partea lui si Prea bine, nu am gresit
Pana in clipa in care ii vad palaria. Poc-trosc-la fix, palaria
neagra si usor imblanita pe care o legan intotdeauna in a mea.