Mihail VAKULOVSKI

 

 

* * *

 I have many friends but I needed you

after they turned off voices in the blinding light

I stepped into the darkness of the street

there's no moon again, you said

instead your sky is full of comets

an eerie light seeps out the snow

let's talk about snow, you proposed

and you laughed like a little bell

I searched for you until my shirt stuck

to my back like a yellow splotch on a Van Gogh

are we late? you asked me

no I'm not sick my face is always yellow

I feel like I've known you for a hundred years

Van Gogh cut off the legs of a naked man

and wrapped him in a miniskirt

if he had drawn him on paper he would have made a great little bell

the runner wanted to catch Matei Visniec

so he ran straight ahead accelerating

with unwavering speed

what a flexible man what a beautiful man

what a powerful man you say

but he gets smaller and smaller

he disappears behind the man moves you throw

gum in his hair he smiles at you

his mouth is thick with yellow butterflies

it starts to rain

rain with frogs

lots and lots of yellow frogs

bien oui parfait

the french are a cultivated people

you say

write something just for me

I don't write to order

I told you

and wrote

 

 

Translated by Sean Cotter