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 Iagaru

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru blanos

De ce trebuie barbatii sa stea atat de sugestiv in tren?
Acesta este mare si greu. Noul barbat imbatranind
O campanie a curateniei, plina de istetimea sportului.
Picioarele larg departate si fesele in vine
Binenteles,unde altundeva sa-si incline sticla?
Daca nu,brusc, in centrul dintre ele?
Arunc stie-nu-stie despre ea
Apreciaza stangacia grosolana ce proclama
Pe un ton exuberant ca “Este un lucru linistitor”

Dar, astia sunt barbatii. Barbatii vin pre-validati
Potrivit Teoriei Barbatilor de Succes a lui Stewart
(ex.cei care nu-si petrec mult timp intrebandu-se
la ce au facut, pot face mai bine)
isi intinde degetele mari la mine,ma priveste in ochi si ranjeste
degetele stranse pe sticla din poala. Ma gandesc
la obrazul lui si, bine, nicio greseala acolo
cand vad palaria. Deodata, palaria neagra,
pufoasa si blanoasa pe care o legan mereu in mine.