IOANA IERONIM

Fugue


a few words on the screen
a signal from you
all of me flashes in response
I can see you come
and go
in loops of night phosphorescence

here you are waiting in ambush
storming
again

worlds apart
suspended in a tune
we swallow half of the sentences
we thrust and break lines
in one breath
virtual real virtual virtual real
wieder again iar encore

percussion for word and distance

*

as there is so little time so much space
why waste time and not write poems
directly on your body
as for instance a few lines
in every palm
terzinas on your cheeks
a smiling rondeau on your lips
sonnets on your shoulders
haikus on your breast
…and you whispering
your answers…
then more lines reaching around
willow branches of a pantoum
and a pair of ghazals
as tasseled slippers
written when the moon
is being sifted through leaves

but if such tattoo is too pagan for us
and naïve
as late in history as this
or still as early,
let’s just drape ourselves
and roll in words,
our silk and satin

*

be unconsoled
cry, woman
you say

and I am treading the ground of my pain
as if for the first time

I take handfuls of dust I cover myself with dust
I swallow the poison
that a half empty moon is spilling
from this November sky

be unconsoled and cry, woman,
you say
look things in the face

*

you have me enchained
you have thrown
knives all around me
as in that old circus act

a few are touching my skin

I do not dare move
I do not have a name for it
to tame

and tame one should nothing
you say
there is nothing to tame

come and set me free
my Lord
come
and melt in me like snow

*

Death, you are on our heels
you beggar of our daily small change
hiding your blade
in your boot under your cloak

I look straight at you
through air made clear after lightning
I look at you
through deadly, poisonous human tears
and keep you far,
murderous beggar
after having learned some of your lessons
once or twice
and come back

I, wrapped in love,
will give you none of my joy

go, just go away
with your bass continuum
that you taught my people -
go away with your kitsch tunes
you who click at us
alluring
castagnettas

Liliana Stefan

Ioana Ieronim
 

Fuga

niste cuvinte pe ecran
un semnal de la tine in noapte
si raspund pe loc - flash
te vad cum vii
si pleci
in bucle de fosforescenta

apoi stai la panda
ataci
din nou

lumi separate
suspendati intr-un sunet
inghitim jumatati de propozitie
aruncam si spargem randuri
dintr-o rasuflare
virtual real virtual virtual real
wieder again iar encore

percutie pentru cuvant si distanta

*

avand atat de putin timp si asa de mult spatiu
de ce mai irosim vremea si nu scriem poezii
direct pe corp
de exemplu cateva versuri
in fiecare palma
tertine pe obraji
un rondeau surazator pe buze
sonete pe umeri
pe piept haiku-uri
... tu soptind
raspunsuri ...
si alte versuri crescand imprejur
ramuri de salcie ale unui pantoum
- un gazel si inca unul
ca niste papuci turcesti
scrise toate pe cand luna
se cerne in frunzis

si daca un astfel de tatuaj ni se pare
pagan
si naiv
asa tarziu in timp
sau inca prea devreme,
sa ne invelim
sa ne infasuram in cuvinte
ele sa ne fie
dantela si satin

*

nu-ti ocoli durerea
plangi femeie
spui

si pasesc pe terenul durerii mele
ca pentru prima oara

iau pumni de tarana ma acopar cu tarana
e noiembrie, inghit otrava
pe cara o varsa din cer
o luna sinistra

nu-ti ocoli durerea si plangi, femeie
spui
priveste lucrurile in fata

m-ai pus in lanturi
ai aruncat
cutite imprejurul meu
ca intr-un numar de circ

cateva imi ating pielea

nu indraznesc sa ma misc
nu stiu cum sa-l numesc
ca sa-l imblanzesc

nu ai ce face
spui tu
nu e nimic de imblanzit

vino si elibereaza-ma
Doamne
vino
ca omatul sa te topesti in mine

*

Moarte ce ne stai pe calcaie
ne cersesti maruntis
iti ascunzi coasa
in gheate sub mantie

ma uit drept la tine
dupa ce luminile se aprind
te privesc
printre lacrimile otravitoare si fatale
te tin la distanta
cersetoare ucigasa
dupa ce ti-am vazut invatamintele
o data sau de doua ori
ma intorc

invaluita in iubire,
nu-ti voi da din bucuria mea

pleaca, pleaca
notele tale joase
melodiile tale ieftine
cu care mi-ai invatat poporul -
pleca
ne pocnesti
din castaniete
ademenitoare