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…

Alina Roxana Fati Chirila

Ioana Ieronim
 

Fragmente

Vad un drum ce paraseste satul,
trece peste camp
serpuind
si mai departe, in carari inguste
se pierde in padure

turme de oi
coborate din munti
inainteaza agale in randuri
deal dupa deal

trenul meu aluneca odata cu ele

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

Incerc sa inteleg
ce spun aceste simboluri,
de ce sunetul lor simplu si indescifrabil
atinge atat de profund

sa fie asta felul
in care inaintam unul catre celalalt

orizontul unui Adevar
apropiindu-se mereu
fara a sosi vreodata?

*

Ne stim de undeva, domnisoara.
Va mai amintiti?

N-as prea crede. Sau da, ba da,
stateam pe catifele
in pestera lui Ali Baba,
doua pietre racoroase

… sau doi cai gonind in vant
pe continentul Gondwanei

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

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

Ba cred ca ne trezisem devreme
era ziua plecarii
parul ne stralucea
ca panza de paianjen inrourata
din via coapta si aurie

vrei sa spui cand nu fusesem inca alungati
din Gradina?

nu,
asculta, acum stiu sigur
eram doi serpi miraculosi
ce se urmareau fericiti unul pe celalalt,
in oceanul primordial
soarele se topea in ape
din inalt
Dumnezeu Insusi amutise
privindu-le splendoarea

Stai sa-ti spun, asta a fost cand citeam
„Ma intreb, pe cuvant, ce naiba am facut noi, tu si eu,
pana sa ne iubim?” – iti inchipui
asa lectura obligatorie?

in asemenea loc, in asemenea timp...
in ziua aceea, cum poate-ti amintesti, eram atat de indragostiti
pe urma am uitat

cum ziceam, Domnisoara, noi ne-am mai intalnit
stiti cum e...