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THE FEAR

Every day I picture you dead.
Splayed between two traffic cones,
unresponsive. Punched into prayer
beneath a windscreen's cracked sky.
Face down in a puddle of yourself.
If you're two minutes late, I sense
police on the porch,
their loaded lips.

We are laughing lovers
in the reconstruction, just
moments before the attack.
The happy times. Pre-crash.

Last night, in bed, your arms
hurt like a jolted seatbelt.

///

O MEDO

Imagino-te morto todos os dias.
Esparramado entre dois cones de trânsito,
inconsciente. Amarfanhado a orar
debaixo do céu estilhaçado do para-brisas.
Cara mergulhada no charco de ti próprio.
Dois minutos mais tarde, sinto
a polícia no alpendre,
de lábios crespos.

Somos amantes risonhos
em reconstrução, justamente
momentos antes do ataque.
Tempos felizes. Antes da colisão.

A noite passada, na cama, os teus braços
doeram como um cinto de segurança solto.

by Caroline BIRD, in "THE POETRY REVIEW", Volume 105:2, Summer 2015

(Portuguese translated by Armando TABORDA, 2015)

(photo taken from Internet - published under the fair use doctrine for non-commercial educational purposes)

(post 1st edition, 2015; 2nd edition, 2017; 3rd edition, 2020)
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28 comments

Ulrich John said:

Something To think about: the picture and the words !
9 years ago

Armando Taborda replied to Ulrich John:

you are right, Ulrich :)

the great Caroline's poem is almost of morbid beauty. I think a text with such sensibility expression could only be written by a lady!?
9 years ago

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, goandgo!
9 years ago ( translate )

beverley said:

food for thought as we say .... each and every day .... !
9 years ago

Armando Taborda replied to beverley:

what a nice saying, Bev!

you should be proud of Caroline!
9 years ago

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Le miroir de l'aube!
9 years ago ( translate )

.t.a.o.n. said:

take care, my friend ! ;-)
9 years ago

Armando Taborda replied to .t.a.o.n.:

Ever, my friend! :)
9 years ago

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, Lorenzo Salmonson!
9 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Nouchetdu38!
7 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Christine!
7 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave and invitation, aNNa schramm!
7 years ago ( translate )

Steve Bucknell said:

Drive carefully when in bed.
3 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda replied to Steve Bucknell:

I can't drive anymore in bed! I'm an old man! :)
3 years ago

Malik Raoulda said:

Un grand poème .. Beauté EXPRESSIVE de grand sensibilité.
Mes meilleurs vœux de bonheur...Bonne Année bonne santé.
3 years ago ( translate )