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.

Ioana Ionita

Anne Stewart
 

Percepţia ca o palarie imblanita

De ce stau mai toti barbatii atat de sugestiv in trenuri ?
Acesta e masiv si greoi. Omul nou imbatranind,
o campanie de curatenie, mustind a sala de forte.
Picioare larg desfacute şi fese strânse.
Desigur, unde altundeva sa-si incline sticla
decat trosc-poc-fix între?
Dau cu banul: „stie-nu stie-despre asta“;
apreciez stangacia greoaie declamand,
exuberanta, „E o chestie de confort“.

Dar asa-s barbatii. “Barbatii se nasc deja validati”
conform Teoriei Stewart
(adica cei ce nu pierd timpul gandindu-se
la ce-ar fi putut face mai bine dintre toate lucrurile facute odat’).
Isi intinde degetele de la picioare spre mine, ma priveste si ranjeste.
Degetele mainii i se strang pe sticla din poala. In gandul meu
„Ce tupeu!” si „Ei bine, niciun dubiu aici”
pe cand observ palaria. Trosc-poc-fix, palaria neagra
imblanita si moale pe care o ocrotesc intr-a mea.