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.

Raluca Gorun

Anne Stewart
 

Perceptia ca un lucru blanos

De ce trebuie sa stea barbatii atat de sugestiv in trenuri?
Acesta este unul mare si greu. Imbatraneste un nou barbat,
o campanie a curateniei, prelingand intelepciunea gimnasticii.
Picioare larg desfacute si cu fesele pe vine,
desigur, unde altundeva sa-si incline sticla
dar subit destul de aproape?
discut despre el stie sau nu stie despre asta;
apreciaza stangacia indesata proclamand,
intr-un ton exuberant, caci „ Este un lucru confortabil”.


Dar, totusi, barbatii. „Barbatii vin pre-confirmaţi”
conform Teoriei Stewart despre A Deveni Usor Barbati de Succes
( cei ce nu-si petrec mult timp intrebandu-se la
ce au făcut vreodată, ar putea face mai mult de atat).
Intinde catre mine degetele de la picioare, ma priveste-n ochi si ranjeste,
strangand degetele pe sticla din poala lui. Ma gandesc
Obrazul lui si ei, bine, fără urme de greşeală,
abia atunci am observat palaria. Subit, palaria
neagra, pufoasa, de blana pe care totdeauna mi-o voi aminti.