LITTLE DO I CARE THAT… Poem by Simona Popescu

Sometimes I have all kinds of thoughts: how Koch wrote a poem
about writing "The Circus" and how he asked John Cage how old he was
and how "everything we do becomes a poem."

Yesterday Dominique asked me what things
connect me, connect us, Romanian writers.
Somone is going to attack me for not keeping up
the Romanian tradition.
When I read Koch, I don't really care he was American,
I don't really care what connects him to American writers.
I don't really care about the person who says:
"You asked me if I wanted to run, but I
said no and walked on."
I don't really care if he's Chinese or African or American
It's more important why it moves me, even though
it doesn't seem to say much.

Pound to Harriet Monroe:
"Are you for American poetry or for poetry?"

Are you for Romanian poetry or for poetry?
Tell me!