Poem
Gordana Benić
Stairway
The city stopped at the point of my pen. And power multiplied like steps on a smooth dancefloor. And the evening’s necklace, like eyes strung on the track of the dark, began to rustle.Meshed summers behind the doors of houses and inhabitants from quiet shadows sensed this prismatic joy in the bready warmth of the sun and deaf peace of the rain.
It happened at a troubled hour when all that is red pales, when all that yellow quietens, when every shadow rests on the oars and sails, and when a darkened track hovers over all, for no clear reason.
And I recognised at once that condensation of violet. Of course I did: in place of the edge of the sky a city had stopped at the point of my pen.
And I watch it, and I watch myself, standing here at the edge of the table, and my gaze is a border of lights and of angles, intricate and lazy, because it belongs to me; while roofs and towers come down the darkened corridor, islands and seas come, sounds and city-squares come. While the I go by.
© Translation: 2007, Kim Burton
Stepenište
Stepenište
Na šiljku olovke zaustavio se grad. I snaga se množila kao plesni koraci na glatkom podijumu. I zašuštala je večernja ogrlica kao nanizane oči na tragu pomrčine.Mrežasta ljeta za vratima kuća i stanovnici iz mirnih sjena osjetili su ovu radost prizme u krušnoj toploti sunca i u gluhom miru kiša.
Zbilo se to u neku mutnu uru kada sve što je crveno izblijedi, kada sve što je žuto utihne, kada sve sjene miruju na veslima i na jedrima i kad bez jasnog razloga u svemu lebdi zatamnjen trag.
I ja sam odmah prepoznala to ljubičasto kraćenje. A kako i ne bih; umjesto ruba neba na šiljku moje olovke zaustavio se grad.
I promatram njega i promatram sebe, dok stojim ovdje na granici stola i moj pogled je granica svjetla i uglova, složen i lijen, jer pripada mi; dok hodnikom zamračenim krovovi i zvonici dolaze, otoci i mora dolaze, glasovi i trgovi dolaze. Dok ja prolazi.
© 1990, Gordana Benić
From: Kovači sjene
Publisher: Književni krug, Split
From: Kovači sjene
Publisher: Književni krug, Split
Poems
Poems of Gordana Benić
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Stairway
The city stopped at the point of my pen. And power multiplied like steps on a smooth dancefloor. And the evening’s necklace, like eyes strung on the track of the dark, began to rustle.Meshed summers behind the doors of houses and inhabitants from quiet shadows sensed this prismatic joy in the bready warmth of the sun and deaf peace of the rain.
It happened at a troubled hour when all that is red pales, when all that yellow quietens, when every shadow rests on the oars and sails, and when a darkened track hovers over all, for no clear reason.
And I recognised at once that condensation of violet. Of course I did: in place of the edge of the sky a city had stopped at the point of my pen.
And I watch it, and I watch myself, standing here at the edge of the table, and my gaze is a border of lights and of angles, intricate and lazy, because it belongs to me; while roofs and towers come down the darkened corridor, islands and seas come, sounds and city-squares come. While the I go by.
© 2007, Kim Burton
From: Kovači sjene
From: Kovači sjene
Stairway
The city stopped at the point of my pen. And power multiplied like steps on a smooth dancefloor. And the evening’s necklace, like eyes strung on the track of the dark, began to rustle.Meshed summers behind the doors of houses and inhabitants from quiet shadows sensed this prismatic joy in the bready warmth of the sun and deaf peace of the rain.
It happened at a troubled hour when all that is red pales, when all that yellow quietens, when every shadow rests on the oars and sails, and when a darkened track hovers over all, for no clear reason.
And I recognised at once that condensation of violet. Of course I did: in place of the edge of the sky a city had stopped at the point of my pen.
And I watch it, and I watch myself, standing here at the edge of the table, and my gaze is a border of lights and of angles, intricate and lazy, because it belongs to me; while roofs and towers come down the darkened corridor, islands and seas come, sounds and city-squares come. While the I go by.
© 2007, Kim Burton
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