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.

Svetlana Iuschievici

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptie printr-un lucru pufos

De ce trebuie ca barbatii sa se aşeze atât de sugestiv când sunt in tren?
Acesta este masiv si greoi. Un om nou imbatranind,
O campanie a curateniei, care emana priceperea dobândita la sala de sport.
Picioarele puternic depărtate si fesele retrase înăuntru,
bineînţeles, unde altundeva sa-si proptească sticla
Decât cioc-poc in centru, prim-plan, intre ele?
Cântăresc variantele stie- nu-stie-despre-asta;
apreciez bizareria îndesata si proclam,
pe un ton aprins, ca :”E ceva legat de confort”.

Dar, pana la urma , aşa sunt barbatii. “Barbatii sunt dinainte acceptati”
dupa Stewart - “Teoria barbatilor de succes”
(si anume: cei care nu-si petrec mult timp întrebându-se ce si daca
exista vreun lucru pe care ar fi putut sa-l facă mai bine.)
Isi intinde picioarele inspre mine, ma priveşte in ochi si ranjeste,
degetele inclestate pe sticla din poala. Ma gandesc
Ce neobrazat si Ei bine, e clar ca nu m-am inselat
când observ pălăria. Cioc-poc, in centru, neagra
moale si pufoasa, palaria care e mereu la mine-n poala.