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 Gheorghe

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru imblanit

De ce trebuie barbatii in tren sa stea jos atat de sugestiv?
Acesta e mare si greoi. Un nou barbat imbatranit,
campanie a curateniei, transpirand desteptaciunea gimnasticii.
Cu picioarele larg desfacute si sezutul aplecat,
desigur, unde altundeva sa-si incline sticla
decat foarte aproape, in spatiul dintre ele?
N-am stare, gandindu-ma daca stie sau nu stie;
apreciez ciudatenia indesata declarand,
pe un ton exuberant, ca “E un lucru mangaietor”.

Dar, in fond, asa sunt barbatii. “Barbatii vin pre-validati”
conform Teoriei Stewart despre Barbatii care au succes usor
(adica cei care nu petrec prea mult timp intrebandu-se ce
ar putea face mai bine decat ce-au facut pana acum).
Isi intinde degetele de la picioare spre mine, ma priveste in ochi si ranjeste,
degetele sale strangandu-se in jurul sticlei din poala sa. Ma gandesc
Ce obraz are si Ei, bine, nu m-am inselat
cand observ palaria. Ia uite, palaria
neagra si imblanita pe care intotdeauna o legan in a mea.