IOANA IERONIM

Fragments


I can see a road leaving the village,
going across the field
serpentine
still further into fine paths
losing itself in the woods

flocks of sheep
having come down from the mountains
slowly advance in rows
on hill after hill

my train glides at the same pace

it has started snowing slowly
in my native land -
flakes as huge as they were
at the beginning

I’ve been trying to understand
what these icons are saying,
why their simple untranslatable tune
touches so deeply

is this the way we are
advancing toward one another

horizon of some Truth,
coming ever nearer
never arriving?

*

we must have met before, Miss,
do you remember where it might have been?

I do not think so – – but yes, o yes
we may have been those cool stones
set side by side on velvet
in Alladin’s cave

… or two horses galloping in the wind
on the continent of Gondwana

yet I remember, I think I do
it was in London one evening
or was it Bucharest still, Washington, Paris,
Vienna, Prague, Barcelona, Istanbul
Galway, New York?
it was cloudy as I recall
and a big merry crowd indoors

no-no, you may still keep in mind
that nest of hidden embers -
we had been lost from our caravans,
it was at sunset
shadows were growing hungry tongues and…

I rather believe that we had been up early
it was the day of departure -
our hair was glistening
like dew-laden cobwebs in a vineyard,
ripening and golden

do you mean, when we had not yet been
thrown down from the Garden?

no
listen, now I think I really know
we were two miraculous serpents
chasing at one another
joyous in the world’s first ocean
the sun was melting in the water
at high noon
God Himself stood speechless
with the beauty of their motion

let me tell you, it must have been when we read
“I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till…” - could you imagine such
mandatory reading?

yeah, in such a place, at such time…

on that day, as you may recall, our hearts were smitten
and then of course we forgot

I say, Miss, we must have met before

you know, these things…

Olimpia Malai

Ioana Ieronim
 

Fragmente

vad drumul cum pleaca din sat
trece peste camp
serpuind mai departe in carari inguste
si se pierde in padure

Turme de oi
coborate din munti
trec agale, in siruri,
deal dupa deal

trenul aluneca o data cu ele

a inceput sa ninga usor
in tinutul meu natal
fulgi mari ca la inceput

incerc sa inteleg
ce spun aceste imagini
de ce muzica lor simpla, indescifrabila
atinge atat de adanc

sa fie aceasta calea
pe care inaintam unul spre celalalt?

orizont al unui Adevar
tot mai aproape
niciodata alaturi?

*

ne cunoastem de undeva, d-ra,
va mai amintiti?

nu cred - - da, ba da
stateam pe catifele
doua pietre racoroase
in pestera lui Ali-baba

… sau doi cai gonind in vant
pe continentul Gondwana

si, totusi, imi amintesc, cred ca era
la Londra, intr-o seara,
sau era Bucuresti, Washington, Paris,
Viena, Praga, Barcelona, Istanbul,
Galway, New York?
imi aduc aminte, era innorat
si o multime vesela in sala de bal

nu-nu, poate n-ai uitat
cuibul de taciuni ascunsi –
noi, pierduti de caravana,
era in asfintit,
umbre scurgeau limbi infometate si …

ba cred ca ne trezisem devreme
- era ziua plecarii –
parul ne sclipea
ca panza de paianjen inrourata
din via aurie si coapta

vrei sa spui, cand inca nu fusesem
alungati din Gradina?

nu
uite, acum stiu sigur
eram doi serpi miraculosi
adulmecandu-se, urmarindu-se fericiti
in oceanul primordial
soarele se topea in apa
din inalt
Dumnezeu insusi amutise
privindu-le splendoarea

stai sa-ti spun, asta a fost cand citeam
“Ma intreb ce naiba am facut, tu si eu,
pana sa...” – iti inchipui
asa o lectura obligatorie?

da, in asemenea loc, asemenea timp...

in ziua aceea, poate iti amintesti, eram atat de indragostiti

cum ziceam, d-ra, ne cunoastem de undeva, stiti cum e…