Spleen ~ Paul Verlaine (translated from French by Martin Sorrel) The roses were bright red The ivy deepest black. My love, your slightest movement Rekindles my despair. Too blue, the sky, too soft, The sea too green, too sweet the air. And still I fear you’ll vanish— Such torture, waiting! I’m tired of waxy-leaf holly, […]
Long Time Coming ~ Daphne Marlatt Sea hood , snail, born with a caul on his head, tumbles in weedy medium of snow. Semen falls as dizziness, sink back to head tail snail ob- ects, weeds to catch at his shell like hair, cilia he put his foot on now grabs hold. […]
Poppies In July ~ Sylvia Plath Little poppies, little hell flames, Do you do no harm? You flicker. I cannot touch you. I put my hands among the flames. Nothing burns And it exhausts me to watch you Flickering like that, wrinkly and clear red, like the skin of a mouth. A mouth just bloodied. […]
Dark Sisters ~ Christopher Villa Dark Sisters, we were children together, Even though we never knew Of each others existence. We lived in separate worlds, Meeting only in our dreamtime, Playing together only in those places That have no maps or boundaries. We danced together to strange songs, Exchanging kisses and caresses To warm us […]
The Sixth ~ Anna Akhmatova There are three epochs in the memory, And only yesterday, it seems, the first Occurred. The soul is underneath their blessed Vault, and the body is basking in their shadow. Laughter has not died down, and tears are streaming, A stain of ink is unwiped on the table, And a […]
