Katherine Gallagher

Keeper

You want me to be a lighthouse-keeper? Fine.
I'll set myself up in a spiralled house

with only books and the cat for company.

I'll learn how the sea looks

turned inside out, how bird cries

are thin winding scarves escaping.

I'll handle looking myself in the eye

when I peer down the telescope,

meet silences ragged as runaway clouds.

No one will know how I value

the way the ships' lights radiate,

how I long for their visits.

I'll stay my ground, teach people

to keep their distance,

maybe get to love this sea-life

drop my anchor, forget the city,

its solidity, after the ribbed

slip and slap of sea.

Ioana Alina Stan

Katherine Gallagher

Paznic

Vrei sa fiu paznic la far? Foarte bine.

Am sa ma instalez intr-o casa cu scara in spirala

avand drept companie doar cateva carti si o pisica.

Voi invata cum arata marea

pana-n adancuri, cum tipetele pasarilor

nu sunt decat esarfe diafane purtate de vant.

O sa ma pot privi in ochi

cand ma voi uita prin telescop,

voi gasi linistea sfasiata ca norii fugari ce se desprind pe cer.

Nimeni nu va stii cat pretuiesc felul

in care vapoarele isi arunca lumina palpaitoare

si cat de mult tanjesc sa ma viziteze.

Voi ramane aici, ii voi invata pe oameni

sa pastreze distanta,

poate voi ajunge sa iubesc viata pe mare

voi prinde radacini aici si voi uita de oras,

de duritatea lui,

dupa dansul valurilor zbuciumate.