Fierce valley,
Valley of love.
Hands: white with salt.
Mouth: black with blood.
A left-breasted Amazon’s
Shaft just missed my temple.
Yes — my head on a stone —
Life, who could love you?
To hell with my plans! To hell with my lies!
Here: as a lark, there: as honeysuckle,
Here: by the handfuls: all pitched-out along
With my savageries — and silences,
With my rainbows glimpsed through tears,
With my pilfering, my prevarications...
Life, yes, you are a darling!
And greedy too!
You leave your bite-mark
On my right shoulder.
Chirping in darkness...
With the birds I rouse myself!
To leave my own cheerful mark
On your chronicle.
Лютая юдоль,
Дольняя любовь.
Руки: свет и соль.
Губы: смоль и кровь.
Левогрудый гром
Лбом подслушан был.
Так — о камень лбом —
Кто тебя любил?
Бог с замыслами! Бог с вымыслами!
Вот: жаворонком, вот: жимолостью,
Вот: пригоршнями: вся выплеснута
С моими дикостями — и тихостями,
С моими радугами заплаканными,
С подкрадываньями, забарматываньями…
Милая ты жизнь!
Жадная ещё!
Ты запомни вжим
В правое плечо.
Щебеты во тьмах…
С птицами встаю!
Мой весёлый вмах
В летопись твою.
«Years of my youth, years of dissipation, / I poisoned you myself with a deadly poison. I do not know if death is close at hand or far. / My eyes which once were blue no longer are. Where are you, happiness? I weep, I cringe, all’s dark. / You’re nowhere to be found. Outside or in the bar...»
«Ah, old lady, are you still alive? / I am, and I give you welcome. / May this unearthly evening light / Flood down on the old home. They tell me you hide your alarm. / But that I soon made you despair. / You often go out on the road / In a dress old-fashioned and threadbare. In the blu...»
«Now piece by piece we slip away / To that far land of peace and grace. / And perhaps must soon collect / My perishable chattels and set out. Sweet birch groves, and you, earth, / And you, sands of the plain! / I lack The strength to hide the dread aroused / By this horde of party souls....»
«The moon's still out. / Night has still not budged, / just ruling, unaware / that day is coming to, / albeit lazily and timidly. / Ray after ray creeps out of cloud, / though night in majesty / still shines across the sky. / Just give it three or four more moments / and night will ...»