New European Poets

General Editors Wayne Miller and Kevin Prufer,
Graywolf Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2008

Alexandru Vakulovski

Amputated Homeland

in this town everyone is
unhappy on this earth
there is quiet before an
explosion yes my love I’m leaving
I am leaving across the earth
of my homeland
there everyone lives out the pleasure
of not knowing
the pleasure of losing
of not being run over by
a car of raising
unhappy children of
eating and not barfing
not once
I am leaving my love
my homeland is where
I am
love love love
you made me happy
you made me forget everything
I will never forget that
not once
I’m leaving

(Translated by Sean Cotter)