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.

Silvia Bratu

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru imblanit

De ce oare stau barbatii in pozitii atat de sugestive atunci cand calatoresc cu trenul?
Cel de aici e inalt si masiv. Tipul de barbat caracteristic vremurilor noastre, care va fi si el atins de trecerea timpului, imaginea tipica pentru o campanie la produse de curatat, emanand forta prin toti porii. Cu picioarele larg desfacute, cu fesele stranse, desigur – unde altundeva sa-si fixeze sticla decat intre picioare?
Ma tot intreb daca e sau nu constient de postura abordata; o etichetez ca o crasa lipsa de delicatete si imi spun in sinea mea, pe un ton amuzat, ca “E o chestiune care tine de confort”.

Dar, in definitiv, asa sunt barbatii. "Barbatii vin cu un set de date prestabilite", potrivit opiniilor exprimate de Stewart in Teoria privind succesul barbatilor usuratici (si anume cei care nu pierd prea mult timp gandindu-se la propriile ispravi si la felul in care ar putea imbunatati lucrurile). Isi intinde picioarele spre mine, ma priveste in ochi si ranjeste satisfacut, cu degetele inclestate pe sticla pe care o tine in poala. Imi zic, in sinea mea, Urat din partea lui si Ma rog, nimic nelalocul lui cand dau cu ochii de palarie. Palaria neagra si usor imblanita pe care o legan mereu intr-a mea.