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.

Ruxandra Georgescu

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru imblanit

De ce stau barbatii atat de sugestiv in trenuri ?
Cel de-aici este mare si greoi. Inca un om in varsta,
un model de curatenie, emanand vioiciunea exercitiului fizic
Cu picioarele desfacute si fesele incordate,
desigur, unde in alta parte sa-si propteasca sticla
decat fix in centru, la vedere, intre picioare ?
Ma framant la gandul ca stie sau nu;
Si apreciez stangacia greoaie cu care declara
pe un ton exuberant ca : „E o chestie de comoditate”.

Dar asa sunt barbatii. „Barbatii sunt autentificati dinainte”
conform teoriei Stewart a Barbatilor Usor Consacrati
(de exemplu cei care nu se tot intreaba
ce anume din ce-au facut putea fi mai bun).
Acesta isi intinde degetele spre mine privindu-ma direct si ranjind,
in timp ce strange intre degete sticla din poala. Ma gandesc
„Cam obraznic din partea lui” si „eh, nimic ciudat aici”
cand zaresc palaria. Fix in centru, acea palarie neagra,
cu blanita moale pe care o port si eu mereu