Judi Benson

And Still the Stones
 

The house shrinks and stretches,
sighs at night creaking the floorboards,
top of the house, crow's nest,
light and air, walls bare.
Slice of heaven we agreed,
lazy rocking evenings,
day's work done, ascending
to meet the sun, watch it go down
in a smother of clouds.
Some laws of nature still persist.
Sod's law, the rain on your parade,
your barbecue, wedding, laundry,
deck chair, bacci, papers.
The minutiae of it all. Things.
What are they without people
but relics to be studied by archaeologists.
A ribbon surviving flesh, faint lavender.
A shank of auburn hair without a head.
Gallstones in a jar, his and hers.
Note: his were bigger than his mum's.
Curiosities to be puzzled over
trying to put it all together. What sense?
Yes, I still take stones
to your grave site to confuse them.
Pink toned, blue grey, granite.
Stones from Alderney, Carteret, Cromer,
Norwich, Aldeburgh, Duluth, Dartmoor, Leide,
a cobblestone from Praha
that I'd like to think Mozart stubbed his toe on,
that tripped Kafka, who swore as I did,
the third time round. Round and round,
lost amongst the ever changing streets.

Simona Elisabeta Catana

Judi Benson

Si totusi, pietrele
 

Casa se micsoreaza si se extinde,
ofteaza noaptea la scartaitul dusumelei,
la ultimul nivel al casei, cuibul ciorilor,
lumina si aer, pereti goi.
Am acceptat o parte din rai,
seri de leganari domoale,
urcand la sfarsitul lucrului de peste zi
sa intampinam soarele, sa-l vedem cum apune
intr-o perdea de nori.
Unele legi ale naturii inca exista.
Legea pamantului, ploaia din timpul procesiunii tale,
gratarul in cinstea ta, casatoria, rufele,
sezlongul, bacci, documente.
Detalii de felul acesta. Lucruri.
Ce reprezinta ele in absenta oamenilor
altceva decat relicve pentru studiul arheologilor.
O panglica ce supravietuieste carnii, lavanda slaba.
O ramasita de par roscat fara cap.
Pietre de la vezica biliara, intr-un borcan, ale lui si ale ei.
Nota : ale lui erau mai mari decat ale mamei.
Raritati la care sa meditam
incercand sa le punem cap la cap. Ce semnifica?
Da, eu inca duc pietre
la mormantul tau ca sa le amestec, sa le incurc.
Nuante de roz, cenusiu albastriu, granit.
Pietre din Alderney, Carteret, Cromer,
Norwich, Aldeburgh, Duluth, Dartmoor, Leide,
O piatra de caldaram din Praga
de care mi-ar placea sa cred ca Mozart s-a lovit cu piciorul,
ca l-a facut pe Kafka sa se impiedice, injurand ca si mine
de trei ori. De jur imprejur
ratacit pe strazile mereu schimbate.