Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Daniel Bănulescu

THE ANTIPA MUSEUM

I used to have a “little sister” a girlfriend
A cutie-pie who wanted to begin a Campaign of Miracles and Resurrections
Among the stuffed bears the flattened worms the snakes preserved in formaldehyde
At the Antipa Museum
I walked there with her every evening
We strolled we smoked we debated sandwiches
 
She told me she hadn’t decided yet whether to bring a lone frog back to life
Or to resurrect the whole museum at once
I advised her “dear, do whatever you wish”
It amused me to hear how she planned to remove and separate the exhibits
For fear that
Once resurrected they’d eat each other up
 
As well as I can recall she was kind of scrawny she wore a mini-dress
She had her own worries
One Saturday evening
I took pity on her I put my hands on her breasts
And resurrected her
 
“Recite Marx to me” – she’d say – “whisper
Dirty words when we make love
Help me feel safer with you
than a girl feels in the ladies’ john
 
Caress me as my mother would caress me
If my mother weren’t my mother
But a tough silent man
Who comes home in the evening holding my mother’s hand
 
Let me know if my legs
Don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my meagre breasts don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my ankles aren’t a small tribe of savages who ambushed you
And are torturing you to teach you about fire
 
Explain to me if over time we haven’t become a pair of medieval characters
Journeying together in a closed sexual carriage
 
I love you because only you can explain
What things look like from above me”

HET ‘ANTIPA’ MUSEUM

Ik had een zusje ik had een vriendin
Een griet die haar Campagne voor Mirakels en Herrijzenis wilde beginnen
Tussen de opgezette beren platgedrukte wormen en in formol bewaarde slangen
Van het Antipa museum
Ik liep er elke avond met haar heen
We wandelden rookten en discussieerden over broodjes
 
Ze vertelde me dat ze nog niet had uitgemaakt of ze eerst alleen maar een kikker tot leven zou brengen
Of het hele museum ineens
Ik zei tegen haar ‘schat doe wat je wilt’
Ik keek geamuseerd toe hoe ze alle museumstukken wegdroeg en van elkaar scheidde
Uit schrik
Dat ze elkaar zouden verscheuren zodra ze waren herrezen
 
Voor zover ik me herinner was het een schriele griet ze droeg een kort rokje
Ze had ook zo haar problemen
Op een zaterdagavond
Had ik medelijden met haar ik legde mijn handen op haar borsten
En deed haar herrijzen
 
‘Reciteer me iets van Marx’ – zei ze tegen me – ‘fluister me
Zwijnerijen in terwijl we vrijen
Maak dat ik me bij jou zekerder voel
Zekerder dan een meisje zich op de damesplee voelt
 
Streel me zoals mijn moeder me zou strelen
Als mijn moeder niet mijn moeder was
Maar een ruwe en zwijgzame man
Die op een avond hand in hand met mijn moeder thuiskomt
 
Zeg me of mijn benen
Je voldoende verwerpelijk voorkomen
Of mijn gemene tieten je voldoende verwerpelijk voorkomen
Of mijn enkels niet die kleine stam van wilden waren die je omsingelde
En alle moeite deed om je het vuur bij te brengen
 
Leg me uit of we ondertussen niet een paar middeleeuwse personages zijn geworden
Die gezamenlijk in een seksuele koets reizen
 
Jou heb ik lief omdat alleen jij mij weet uit te leggen
Hoe de dingen eruitzien van boven mij uit bekeken’

MUZEUL „ANTIPA”

Aveam o sorelă aveam o amică
O tipă ce dorea să-şi înceapă Campania de Miracole şi Învieri
Între urşii împăiaţi viermii striviţi şi şerpii păstraţi în formol
De la Muzeul Antipa
Mergeam acolo în fiecare seară cu ea
Ne plimbam fumam discutam sandvişuri
 
Zicea că nu se hotărâse dacă să aducă întâi la viaţă o singură broască
Ori să învie dintr-o dată tot muzeul
I-am spus „dragă, procedează cum vrei”
Mă amuza să o văd cum îşi căra şi îşi separa toate exponatele
De teamă
Că odată reînviate se vor hali între ele
 
Din câte îmi amintesc era o tipă pipernicită purta o rochie scurtă
Avea şi ea necazurile ei
Într-o sâmbătă seara
Mi-a fost milă de ea i-am pus mâinile peste sâni
Şi-am înviat-o
 
„Recită-mi ceva dinspre Marx – mi-a spus ea – şopteşte-mi
Porcării în timp ce facem dragoste
 
Ajută-mă să mă simt mai în siguranţă cu tine
Decât se simte în siguranţă o fată numai în toaleta de fete
 
Mângâie-mă ca şi cum m-ar mângâia mama mea
Dacă mama mea n-ar fi mama
Ci un bărbat zgrunţuros şi tăcut
Care s-ar întoarce într-o seară acasă de mână cu mama
 
Spune-mi dacă picioarele mele
Nu ţi se par îndeajuns de abjecte
Dacă sânii mei ticăloşi nu ţi se par îndeajuns de abjecţi
Dacă gleznele mele nu-s ele micul trib de sălbatici care te-au înconjurat
Şi se chinuie cu tine să te înveţe ce-i focul
 
Explică-mi dacă între timp n-am devenit o pereche de personaje medievale
Călătorind împreună într-o trăsură sexuală
 
Pe tine te iubesc fiindcă numai tu ştii să-mi explici
Cum arată lucrurile văzute de deasupra mea”
Close

THE ANTIPA MUSEUM

I used to have a “little sister” a girlfriend
A cutie-pie who wanted to begin a Campaign of Miracles and Resurrections
Among the stuffed bears the flattened worms the snakes preserved in formaldehyde
At the Antipa Museum
I walked there with her every evening
We strolled we smoked we debated sandwiches
 
She told me she hadn’t decided yet whether to bring a lone frog back to life
Or to resurrect the whole museum at once
I advised her “dear, do whatever you wish”
It amused me to hear how she planned to remove and separate the exhibits
For fear that
Once resurrected they’d eat each other up
 
As well as I can recall she was kind of scrawny she wore a mini-dress
She had her own worries
One Saturday evening
I took pity on her I put my hands on her breasts
And resurrected her
 
“Recite Marx to me” – she’d say – “whisper
Dirty words when we make love
Help me feel safer with you
than a girl feels in the ladies’ john
 
Caress me as my mother would caress me
If my mother weren’t my mother
But a tough silent man
Who comes home in the evening holding my mother’s hand
 
Let me know if my legs
Don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my meagre breasts don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my ankles aren’t a small tribe of savages who ambushed you
And are torturing you to teach you about fire
 
Explain to me if over time we haven’t become a pair of medieval characters
Journeying together in a closed sexual carriage
 
I love you because only you can explain
What things look like from above me”

THE ANTIPA MUSEUM

I used to have a “little sister” a girlfriend
A cutie-pie who wanted to begin a Campaign of Miracles and Resurrections
Among the stuffed bears the flattened worms the snakes preserved in formaldehyde
At the Antipa Museum
I walked there with her every evening
We strolled we smoked we debated sandwiches
 
She told me she hadn’t decided yet whether to bring a lone frog back to life
Or to resurrect the whole museum at once
I advised her “dear, do whatever you wish”
It amused me to hear how she planned to remove and separate the exhibits
For fear that
Once resurrected they’d eat each other up
 
As well as I can recall she was kind of scrawny she wore a mini-dress
She had her own worries
One Saturday evening
I took pity on her I put my hands on her breasts
And resurrected her
 
“Recite Marx to me” – she’d say – “whisper
Dirty words when we make love
Help me feel safer with you
than a girl feels in the ladies’ john
 
Caress me as my mother would caress me
If my mother weren’t my mother
But a tough silent man
Who comes home in the evening holding my mother’s hand
 
Let me know if my legs
Don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my meagre breasts don’t seem scandalous enough for you
If my ankles aren’t a small tribe of savages who ambushed you
And are torturing you to teach you about fire
 
Explain to me if over time we haven’t become a pair of medieval characters
Journeying together in a closed sexual carriage
 
I love you because only you can explain
What things look like from above me”
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
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