The palm at the end of the mind, beyond the last thought, rises in the bronze distance. A gold feathered bird sings in the palm, without human meaning, without human feeling, a foreign song. You know then that it is not the reason that makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine. The palm stands on the edge of space. The wind moves slowly in the branches. The bird's fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The Silver Clasp

 

The June breeze presses a thin dress
up against the body of the girl who’s wearing it
and standing under a small parasol
in a rowing boat.
The dress is white and held together
by a silver clasp over her left breast.
The sea is milky blue.
Back on the beach there are people in striped swimsuits,
bathing huts and ice-cream cones.
Since it’s yours truly who is rowing
it looks to them as if the girl was alone in the boat
and was pushing forwards
with the aid of the same passive force
as the silver clasp that prevents the dress from flying off.
 
translated by John Irons

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