IL FAIT SI SOMBRE, POURQUOI CHERCHER ENCORE? It`s So

IL FAIT SI SOMBRE, POURQUOI CHERCHER ENCORE? It`s So

IL FAIT SI SOMBRE, POURQUOI
C H E R C H E R ENCORE?
A t o i , m o n pere: ta g o r g e n'est p l u s u n
l o s a n g e de f r u i t s , u n e p l a i n e a m u s i q u e ;
ta b o u c h e e m p l i e de terre l ' a valaee. II
v a u d r a i t m i e u x l a nettoyer, d i t - e l l e , de
ces a i g u i l l e s p o u s s i e r e u s e s de c y p r e s .
I c i r i e n n e m a n q u e , l ' u r n e n i la cendre,
n i l ' e a u , n i lente f u m e e de j o u t e s d i s p a r u e s , n i cette h i s t o i r e o u t u ne cesses
de te c h a n g e r e n p i e r r e , p a r m i des e a u x
a n a m o r p h o s e s , des orbes de r o s e a u x . . . ,
a h de n a g u e r e essaie de r a p p e l e r les
p a t i e n c e s d u c h a n t ! a u t o u r de ces p i e r res a u f r o n t bas et de l e u r s o u f f l e d u r ,
m e l e e n c o r e ta v o i x a u v i d e a u t o u r des
OS
A n n i e Salager
T r a n s l a t e d by B e t h B e n t l e y
and Nicole Bussod
UNTITLED
Swibold
5 " x 7"
( p e n c i l ) by S u z a n n e
It's So Dark, Why Go On Looking?
T o y o u , m y father: y o u r throat n o l o n g e r
a fruit lozenge, a m u s i c a l p r a i r i e
y o u r m o u t h f u l l of earth has s w a l l o w e d it.
Better to c l e a r o u t , it says, these
dusty cypress needles. H e r e , n o t h i n g
is l a c k i n g , u r n n o r a s h , w a t e r n o r the
s l o w s m o k e of v a n i s h e d quarrels, n o r
t h i s story w h e r e y o u never cease c h a n g i n g
yourself i n t o stone a m o n g a n a m o r p h i c
waters, e d g i n g s o f reeds...
a h , try to r e c a l l those p a t i e n c e s o f s o n g
m i n g l e y o u r v o i c e o n c e m o r e at the h o l l o w
a r o u n d r o c k s w i t h l o w foreheads a n d
h a r d breaths, a r o u n d b o n e .
A n n i e Salager
T r a n s l a t e d by B e t h B e n t l e y
and Nicole Bussod