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.

Florentina Yvonne Penciu

Michael Curtis

Portul In Siguranta

1

Ea a invatat devreme, acel zambet,
a folosit intreg universul
inspre conciliere si persuasiune.

Ea l-a exersat in fiecare dimineata,
si-a domolit copiii,
si-a instruit sotul cum sa se poarte,

l-a trimis inaintea ei in fiecare seara
intr-o camera cu barbati razand,
l-a invatat sa castige bacsisuri la bar,

l-a lasat sa se imprastie din gura ei
spre obraji inaltati si falci intinse,
i-a colorat graiul in alb si rosu,

l-a manevrat neglijent,
i-a permis sa se joace cu o suvita de par,
sa se uite de doua ori la strainul de la masa din colt,

pana cand noptile hulpave
l-au sters de pe fata ei perfectionata
si l-au furat din ochii ei

2

Deci diseara
toata lumina
va fi jefuita din ochii ei

iar zambetului
odata gasit usor
pe cand aprindea candela noastra

ii ia zece secunde pentru a se linisti
pe cand ea se indreapta spre masa noastra
din camera din spate.

Lunga ei vara piperata
s-a oprit brusc in august
obosita ca iarna,

iar acum ea trebuie sa continue sa mearga
printr-un vis de nepatruns
care nu permite nicio evadare

3

Asemenea visului
pe care l-ai uitat dimineata
dar care nu te uita,
fiul tau mort, tatal tau murind din nou,
cosmarul
care se ascunde apasator dincolo de ochi
acel nor de ore intregi in ciuda luminii soarelui,
luminii lampii sau chiar a iubirii desteptate,
asa ca vocii de la telefon din acea seara
nu i se poate da crezare, cartea postala
de pe plaja insulei din Tailanda,
cu data mazgalita, precis a fost cenzurata,
e-mailul confirmand sosirea ei
nascocita, si singurul lucru
care poate dispersa indoiala
este un alt vis amintit pe jumatate,
fara intentie, involuntar, dar de aceasta data lumina


4

Pe cand firava barca cu panze
ce trece peste nenumaratele focuri
stingand si luminand calda mare

intr-o dimineata ivita
hotarata sa orbeasca ochi
si sa inlature toate efectele norilor

in timp ce scurtele silaje ale iahturilor
sparg acoperitoarea pentru a-si pune norocul la-ncercare
si-a potoli nepriponita ingrijorare

dezvelite in bataia vantului obosit
motoarele cu sunetul diminuat insurubandu-se spre soare
pe cand echipajul pluteste printre vieti

5

Ca noi peste sarea vietii,
inotand in marea contorsionata
imbaindu-ne in soarele scaldat
imbratisand umbra de sub pini,

epurati de forma, redusi la linii
astfel incat recunoasterea ascunde disimulare,
si vrabii ciugulesc la dunele vrabiilor
si mustele de nisip zboara de-a lungul nisipului,

iar noi urmam instructiunile
ferite de cei de la paza de bord
care nu fac decat sa le confunde cu harti
pictate pe sticla viu argintata cu iutime de moarte,

si aici ne vom gasi drumul
pe cand barci cu pedale pedaleaza familii de cate cinci
saltele sunt ancorate adanc in dupa-amiaza
iar ziua straluceste in luciri de zi,

navigam pe o cale printre nori
si ne imaginam ca am ajuns la lumina
pana cand ne oprim la zambetele
care nu vand nimic altceva decat pe ele