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.

Reluta Paune

Michael Curtis

Portul Sigurantei

1

A invatat devreme zambetul acela,

Fata de lume,

Pentru a imblanzi si a convinge.

L-a exersat in fiecare dimineata,

Linistindu-si copiii,

Determinand comportamentul bun al sotului.

L-a purtat cu ea in fiecare seara

In camera unor oameni bine dispusi,

L-a predat altora pentru a castiga bacsis la bar,

A fost facut vizibil pe fata,

Obrajii ridicati si gura incordata,

Colorandu-i vorbirea in alb si rosu,

Exprimandu-l fara grija,

Permitand sa se joace cu o impletitura de par, Privind de doua ori la strainul

Din coltul mesei,

Pana cand noptile nesatioase l-au sters de pe fata ei desavarsita

Si l-au furat din ochii ei.

2

Astfel ca asta seara

Toata lumina din ochii ei este furata

Iar zambetului,

Candva gasit cu usurinta

La aprinderea luminii candelei noastre

Ii ia zece secunde pentru a aparea

In timp ce se apropie de masa noastra

Venind din spatele camerei.

Vara ei fierbinte si lunga

Din timpul lui august,

Plictisitoare precum iarna,

Iar acum trebuie sa continue sa paseasca

Prin visul de neschimbat

Care nu ii aduce scapare.

3

Precum visul

Pe care l-ai uitat pana dimineata

Dar care nu te uita,

Fiul tau mort, tatal pe moarte din nou, Cosmarul,

Care se aseaza cu greutate intre ochi

Care umbreste timp de ore intregi,

In ciuda razelor de soare,

A luminii unei rampe sau chiar a dragostei reinviate,

Astfel incat vocea de la telefon

Din seara aceea sa nu poata fi distinsa, Cartea postala de pe plaja insulei din Thailand, Data mazgalita, trebuie sa fi fost cenzurata, Emailul confirmandu-i sosirea

Falsificata, si singurul lucru

Care poate inlatura indoiala

Este un alt vis pe jumatate amintit,

Nedorit, involuntar,

Dar de data asta luminos.

4

Precum catamaranul fara povara

Care stapaneste incendiile fara numar

Ce aprind si lumineaza marea calda

Intr-o dimineata devreme

A vindecat ochii orbiti

Si a inlaturat efectele norilor

In timp ce ridicarile usoare a iahturilor

Se acopereau, mai oferind o sansa Astamparand nelinistea fara limita

Neasezat de vantul epuizat

Motoarele incinse insurubate la soare

Precum echipajele plutind intre vieti.

5

Asa cum prin sarea vietii

Inotam pe marea inspumata,

Facand baie la soarele ce se revarsa Imbratisand umbra de sub pini,

Prin care ne curatim,ramanand simpli,

Incat recunoasterea acopera deghizarea, Vrabiutele ciugulesc pe dunele lor,

Iar mustele de nisip zboara de-a lungul acestuia,

Iar noi urmam directiile

Tainuite fata de paznicii de la granita

Care le iau drept harti

Pictate pe sticla argintate de moarte,

Aici ne vom gasi drumul

Pedaland familii de cate cinci

Lilieci stau intinsi dupa amiaza

Iar ziua straluceste in plinatatea ei,

Calatorim pe un drum printre nori

Si ne imaginam luminand

Pana cand incepem sa zambim

Ceea ce ne ajuta numai pe noi insine.