Self-portraits in Spotless Contemporary Surfaces

the city turns me into my own objective correlative
the surfaces force me into reflection
deafen me, I only watch, I stare at myself:
I’m functional on toasters, microwave ovens
kettles of stainless steel
I’m framed by the portholes of washing machines
sometimes even in the secretive gleaming of door handles
and the darkness of tv screens that mirror when they’re off
I’m epic in the panoramas of long sliding doors
my face wobbles over the glass of sedans
I sell myself to myself in the windows of shops
always among the narcissi when in front of the florist
I multiply alone through the geometry of the city
I flash schizophrenically in revolving doors, I look at:
low-angle shots of myself on the marble floors of lobbies
the city will echo softly but display
my facets in all the tints of unlyrical grey

Selfportrette op vlekkelose byderwetse oppervlakke

Selfportrette op vlekkelose byderwetse oppervlakke

die stad maak my my eie objective correlative
die oppervlakke dwing my tot refleksie
maak my doof, ek kyk net, ek staar na myself:
ek’s funksioneel op toasters, mikrogolfoonde
ketels van vlekkelose staal
ek’s geraam in die patryspoorte van wasmasjiene
soms selfs in die geheimsinnige teëglim van deurknoppe
en die donkerte van tv-skerms wat afgeskakel kaats
ek’s epies in panoramiese skuifdeure
my gesig wobble oor die ruite van sedans
ek verkoop myself aan myself in winkelvensters
altyd tussen narsings voor die flower shop
ek vermeerder alleen deur die meetkunde van die stad
ek flits skisofrenies in draaideure, ek kyk na
low-angle shots van myself op marmervloere van voorportale
die stad sal dofweg eggo, maar my fasette vir my wys
in al die skakerings van onliriese grys