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.

Elena Cigareanu

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia cea pufoasa

De ce stau barbatii astia atat de sugestiv prin trenuri?
Aceasta este mare si greoi. Imbatranind omul nou,
o campanie de curatare, de evitare a efectelor gimnasticii.
Picioarele sunt larg departate iar posteriorul de odihneste,
bineinteles unde in alta parte s-ar putea intinde mai bine
decat poc-slap-centru intre?
M-am nelinistit de acest nu-stiu-ce este;
apreciez aceea ciudatenie mica si indesata, ce proclama
pe un ton vesel, ca „Este foarte comfortabil!”

insa, apoi, asa-s barbatii. „Barbatii vin pre-validati”
dupa spusele lui Stewart in Teoria Barbatilor cu Succes
( spre exemplu cei care nu pierd prea mult intrebandu-se ce,
din ceea ce au facut, ar putea fi mai bun.)
Isi intinde degetele de la picioare catre mine, ma priveste in ochi si-mi zambeste,
degetele de la maini se chinuie cu o sticla in poala. Eu ma gandesc
„Care-i treba cu el” si „Nu incape vorba de greseala”
cand ii vad palaria. Poc-slap-centru, balnita neagra si pufoasa
de pe palarie pe care o port intotdeauna cu mine.