Michael Curtis

Safe Harbour

1

She learned it early, that smile,

used the world over

to placate and to persuade.

She exercised it each morning,

quietened her children,

schooled her husband to good behaviour,

sent it before her each evening

into a room of laughing men,

taught it to earn tips at the bar,

let it spread from her mouth

to raised cheeks and tightened jaw,

coloured her talk with whites and reds,

employed it carelessly,

allowed it to play with a strand of hair,

look twice at the stranger at the corner table,

until insatiable nights

wiped it from her perfected face

and stole it from her eyes

2

So tonight

all the light

is robbed from her eyes

and the smile

once found with ease

when lighting our candle

takes ten seconds to compose

as she walks to our table

from the back room.

Her long peppered summer

has fetched up in August

weary as winter,

and now she must keep on walking

through an unbreakable dream

that brings no escaping

3

Like the dream

you’ve forgotten by morning

but doesn’t forget you,

your son dead, your father dying again,

the nightmare

that lies heavy behind eyes

that cloud for hours despite sunshine,

lamplight or even awakened love,

so the voice on the phone that evening

cannot be believed, the postcard

from the island beach in Thailand,

date smudged, must have been censored,

the e-mail confirming her arrival

forged, and the only thing

that can burn off the doubt

is another half-remembered dream,

unwilled, involuntary, but this time light

4

As the weightless catamaran

that straddles the countless fires

extinguishing and lighting the warm sea

on a risen morning

resolved to dazzle eyes

and burn off all effects of clouds

while the brief wakes of yachts

break cover to take their chance

and slake untethered restlessness

unsheeted at the exhausted wind

muffled engines screwing to the sun

as crews float between lives

5

Like us upon the salt of life,

swimming on the writhing sea

bathing in the showered sun

hugging shade beneath the pines,

purged of form, reduced to line

so recognition sheds disguise,

and sparrows peck at sparrow dunes

and sand flies fly across the sand,

and we follow the directions

concealed from the border guards

who only mistake them for maps

painted on glass quicksilvered by death,

and here we’ll find our way

while pedalos pedal families of five

lilos lie low in the afternoon

and the day glows in dayglows,

navigate a route through clouds

and imagine ourselves to light

until we settle to the smiles

that trade in nothing but themselves.

Violeta Mitu

Michael Curtis

Safe Harbour

1

A invatat devreme acel zambet,

l-a folosit ca sa impace si sa convinga

pe orisicine.

Il exersa in fiecare dimineata,

cu el isi potolea copiii,

cu el isi educa si sotul,

il afisa in fiecare seara

in fata barbatilor veseli

cu el ii invata pe altii cum se castiga banii,

il oferea cu generozitate

fetelor prea rigide,

isi colora discursul cu vinuri albe, rosii,

il folosea cu grija

si il lasa sa se joace cu suvite de par,

sa priveasca de doua ori strainul de la masa din colt,

pana cand nopti prea lacome

i l-au sters de pe fata-i perfecta

si l-au furat din ochii ei.

2

Asa ca asta-seara

ochii-i sunt vaduviti

de lumina.

iar zambetul

gasit candva cu usurinta

cand ne-aprindea lumina lumanarii,

i-apare acum cu greu pe chip

in timp ce catre masa noastra vine

din camera din spate.

Vara ei lunga, plina de viata

s-a ispravit in august

istovita ca iarna,

acum ea trebuie sa mearga inainte

printr-un vis ce nu se mai destrama

ce nu aduce scapare

3

Precum un vis

pe care il uiti pana dimineata

dar care nu te uita,

fiul tau mort, tatal ce moare iarasi,

cosmarul

ce-atarna greu in spatele ochilor

ce intuneca mereu, in ciuda soarelui,

a luminii sau chiar a iubirii renascute,

tot astfel vocea de la telefon din acea seara nu poate fi crezuta, vederea

de pe plaja din Tailanda,

cu data mazgalita, a fost cu siguranta cenzurata,

iar e-mailul ce i-anunta sosirea

a fost falsificat, iar tot ce-acum mai poate risipi-ndoiala

e un alt vis pe jumatate amintit,

nedorit, involuntar, dar de asta data lumina

4

Asa cum catamaranul usor

ce trece peste focuri nesfarsite

stingand si aprinzand marea calduta

intr-o dimineata ivita prea devreme

hotarata sa orbeasca ochii

si sa alunge orice umbra a norilor

in timp ce urmele scurte ale iahturilor evadeaza pentru a incerca

sa potoleasca nelinistea sloboda

descoperite in fata vantului prea obosit motoare asurzite intorcandu-se spre soare

in timp ce echipajele plutesc printre vieti

5

Asa cum noi pe sarea vietii stam

inotand pe marea agitata

scaldandu-ne in soarele

udat de ploaie imbratisand umbra pe sub pini,

lipsiti de forma, redusi la o linie

tot astfel recunoasterea imprastie disimulare, iar vrabiile ciugulesc pe dunele de vrabii

nisipul zboara liber peste nisip,

iar noi urmam instructiunile

necunoscute de paznicii de frontiera

ce cred ca nu sunt decat simple harti

pictate pe sticla pe care moartea a varsat argintul viu,

aici ne vom gasi noi calea

in timp ce barcile vor purta familii numeroase iar plutele vor ramane nemiscate in miez de zi iar ziua va straluci stralucitoare,

vom naviga printre nori

si ne vom imagina ca mergem spre lumina

si ne oprim in fata zambetelor

ce nu se dau decat pe zambete.