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.

Gabriela Maria Onutu

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru imblanit

De ce trebuie sa stea barbatii asa de sugestiv in trenuri?
Acesta-i mare si greoi. Un alt barbat ce-mbatraneste,
O campanie de curatenie, eliminand prin sudoare inteligenta gimnasticii.
Picioare larg desfacute si spate chincit,
Desigur, unde altundeva sa-ncline sticla,
Afar’de-nvecinatul loc central provocator, la imbinarea dintre ele?
Ma framant sa-mi dau seama daca stie sau nu despre aceasta;
Recunosc substantiala stanjeneala proclamand,
Pe un ton exuberant : “E ceva reconfortant”.

Dar, apoi, asa-s barbatii. “Barbatii vin pre-validaţi”
Conform teoriei lui Stewart despre-“Ai Succeselor Usor Obţinute Barbati ”
(cu alte cuvinte, aceia ce nu pierd mult timp întrebându-se ce anume,
Din tot ceea ce au facut vreodata ar fi putut face mai bine).
El isi întinde policarii catre mine, ma priveste-n ochi si ranjeşte,
Degetele-i strangandu-se pe sticla din poala. Gandesc
“Ce neobrazare din partea lui! “si ”Ei bine, la mijloc nu-i nici o greşeală.”
Cand observ palaria. Punct provocator, palaria neagra si moale, de blana,
Pe care o-tot legan in a mea mana.