AS THOUGH NOTHING WAS GOING ON Poem by Pierre Alféri

Four themes then
Déjà-vu
Sexual ambiguity
Verse & prose
My birthday
And blurred contours are unavoidable.


You'll hold to
Spring or autumn
Her and him
Mac of prose and pleated
Skirt of poetry
This cinematic triplet
You say the loved one alone
Forms a pair

A place already
Known without being
Known because of the twist
In the path of the
Cut yes the same
Day of the year
You don't know where to stand
In the room
Reflected you see

Nothing to say to
This day apart
Apart from that when taking a step
Back, steps
Not necessary
An intrigue takes shape
Has taken shape though
We never wove it
Less than a private
Story ball of wool
Squashed
On square
One

Strange concetto
You've been warned there are
Four themes then
Déjà-vu
Sexual ambiguity
Verse & prose
My birthday
And blurred contours are unavoidable

Why call it
Love carp
The waiter says mute
How will she express
Her feelings
And my friend
There's no rule
Concerning our preferences

Middle-aged
Do you hope that Glen or Glenda
Will remain suspended
With no patronymic nor
Job de-
Generated
As for this body
Clothed in chives and garlic
Fish or fowl
We'll make do
With that explanation

There's no question of hesitation
The cards are well placed
This life you
Pleated skirt this rhythm
Nothing else but

Tough luck for those who don't appreciate
The way you cross lines at the slightest
Opportunity, consume
With moderation
And the priggish pedantry of a vague oenologist
The choice comprises
Like this angle
Looking onto the room
All others

Or not? Was it
Just a desire a refusal
Of time you find
Too much equivocation
You can't even
Count on the
Weather these days

At home finally
Something is
Different the same
The armchair or
The table oh I've got it
You've put the table
And the armchair
Where they were a few
… Months ago?
A few months ago.

Translation: 2012, Kate Campbell