Michael Curtis

Safe Harbour

1

She learned it early, that smile,

used the world over

to placate and to persuade.

She exercised it each morning,

quietened her children,

schooled her husband to good behaviour,

sent it before her each evening

into a room of laughing men,

taught it to earn tips at the bar,

let it spread from her mouth

to raised cheeks and tightened jaw,

coloured her talk with whites and reds,

employed it carelessly,

allowed it to play with a strand of hair,

look twice at the stranger at the corner table,

until insatiable nights

wiped it from her perfected face

and stole it from her eyes

2

So tonight

all the light

is robbed from her eyes

and the smile

once found with ease

when lighting our candle

takes ten seconds to compose

as she walks to our table

from the back room.

Her long peppered summer

has fetched up in August

weary as winter,

and now she must keep on walking

through an unbreakable dream

that brings no escaping

3

Like the dream

you’ve forgotten by morning

but doesn’t forget you,

your son dead, your father dying again,

the nightmare

that lies heavy behind eyes

that cloud for hours despite sunshine,

lamplight or even awakened love,

so the voice on the phone that evening

cannot be believed, the postcard

from the island beach in Thailand,

date smudged, must have been censored,

the e-mail confirming her arrival

forged, and the only thing

that can burn off the doubt

is another half-remembered dream,

unwilled, involuntary, but this time light

4

As the weightless catamaran

that straddles the countless fires

extinguishing and lighting the warm sea

on a risen morning

resolved to dazzle eyes

and burn off all effects of clouds

while the brief wakes of yachts

break cover to take their chance

and slake untethered restlessness

unsheeted at the exhausted wind

muffled engines screwing to the sun

as crews float between lives

5

Like us upon the salt of life,

swimming on the writhing sea

bathing in the showered sun

hugging shade beneath the pines,

purged of form, reduced to line

so recognition sheds disguise,

and sparrows peck at sparrow dunes

and sand flies fly across the sand,

and we follow the directions

concealed from the border guards

who only mistake them for maps

painted on glass quicksilvered by death,

and here we’ll find our way

while pedalos pedal families of five

lilos lie low in the afternoon

and the day glows in dayglows,

navigate a route through clouds

and imagine ourselves to light

until we settle to the smiles

that trade in nothing but themselves.

Cristine Niculae

Michael Curtis

Refugiu Sigur

1

Ea l-a invatat devreme, acel zambet

Cu care se folosea de lume

Pentru a impaca si a convinge.

Il exersa in fiecare dimineata

Cu el isi linistea copiii,

Isi educa sotul sa aiba un comportament bun,

Il trimitea dinaintea-i in fiecare seara

Intr-o camera plina cu barbati zambitori,

Il instruia pentru a castiga bacsisuri la bar,

Il lasa sa I se rasfranga larg de pe buze

Catre pometi ridicati si maxilare inclestate, Vorbirea i-o nuanta pestrit

Il folosea natural

Ii permitea sa se joace cu o suvita de par,

Se uita de doua ori la strainul din coltul mesei,

Pana cand nopti lacome

I-au oprit zambetul de pe fata-i minunata

I l-au furat din ochi.

2

Asadar, in seara asta

Toata lumina din ochi

Ii este furata

Iar zambetu-i

Ce odinioara i se descoperea cu usurinta

In timp ce aprindeam lumanarea

Se aduna pe fata in zece secunde

In timp ce se indreapta spre masa noastra Venind din camera din spate.

Lunga-i vara condimentata

Se opri in august

Epuizanta ca iarna,

Iar acum trebuie sa continue

Sa parcurga un vis de nerisipit

Ce nu aduce nicio iesire.

3

Precum visul

Pe care l-ai uitat pana dimineata

Dar el nu te uita pe tine,

Fiul mort, tatal ce moare repetat,

Cosmarul ce se intinde apasator dincolo de ochi

Acel nor ce sta pe cer de ore, in ciuda luminii soarelui,

A luminii veiozei sau chiar a dragostei reinviate,

Prin urmare vocea de la telefon din acea seara Nu poate fi crezuta, vederea

Trimisa de pe plaja din Tailanda,

Cu data patata, trebuie ca a fost cenzurata, E-mailul ce confirma sosirea ei

A fost contrafacut, si singurul lucru

Ce poate inlatura dubiul

Este un alt vis, pe jumatate uitat,

Nedorit, involuntar, dar de data asta e lumina.

4

Asemenea catamaranului imponderabil

Ce tine in suspensie nenumarate focuri

Ce sting si aprind marea calda

Intr-o dimineata cu rasarit de soare

Facuta pentru a orbi vederea

Si sa alunge urmarile norilor

In timp ce yachturile se dezmortesc repede Pentru a porni sa-si incerce norocul

Si sa-si potoleasca agitatia nestavilita

Fara panze in fata vantului obosit

Zgomotul inabusit al motoarelor ce navigheaza spre soare

In timp ce echipajele plutesc printre vieti

5

Aidoma noua ce ne aflam deasupra vietii sarate,

Inotand spre marea ce se agita

Imbaindu-ne in soarele coplesitor

Imbratisand umbra de sub pini,

Eliberati de forma, redusi la o linie,

Tot astfel faima raspandeste aparente,

Iar vrabiile scobesc in dunele vrabiilor

Si mustele de nisip zboara peste nisip,

Iar noi urmam ordinele

Ascunse de vamesi

Ce doar le iau drept harti

Pictate pe sticla argintata de moarte,

Si aici vom gasi drumul

In timp ce barcile cu pedale pedaleaza in formatie de cinci

Saltelele zac pe jos dupa-amiaza

Iar ziua straluceste cu licariri,

Mergem pe un drum printre nori

Si ne imaginam in fata luminii

Pana cand ramanem la zambetele

Ce nu dau nimic in schimb decat pe ele insele.