“If anybody except a poet were saying the things Sorescu says in his poems, he or she would be found insane. But this is what poetry should be doing, putting this kind of material into rational form.” (Russell Edson) In this collection the Romanian’s poems are expertly translated by two other Romanian writers and Stuart Friebert, with an introduction by noted Irish poet Seamus Heaney.
Table of Contents
Introduction • AFTER THE CREATION • After the Creation • Between Stars • Getting Used to Your Name • Giddyup! • Hide and Seek • Under the Door • And Everything Slips Easily Away... • Apparition • The House • Lightning Passed... • Segment • Burglars • Glimmer • Prayer • My Soul, You’re Good at Everything • Elegy • SUBJECTIVISM • Subjectivism • Spiral • Orbit • Game • Paintings • The Path • Pliers • Water of Life, Water of Death • About You • Perspective • Group • Launching • I Can’t Pass onto Anyone • I Stopped Right by the Tragic • WHERE WE FORGET • Where We Forget • Eyelashes • Reminiscences • Precaution • Dream • Signs • The Sacred Fire • Rift • Ouch! Ouch! • Mourning • Matinal • Let’s Help • Look • In the Sky • Passport • Pedestrian • Egg • Death Is a Miracle Too • Descent • Bocca Di Leone • Fire and Water • Laurel • Hymn • HISTORY AS THERAPY • History As Therapy • Pure Conversation with a Chinese Character • Fossil Hittite • Cognition • Cavafy • Good Advice • The Hermit • Lazarus’ Resurrection • The Ground • Laocoon • Fresco • Village Museum • Used Bookseller • Statue • Ulysses • Troy • Shakespeare • Hamlet, In Search • Poisoned • Chess • The Executioner with Seven Hands and the Victim with Seven Heads • MIRACLE • Miracle • Minus the Sea • The Mountains • Secret Transfusion • Pueblo • The Pluperfect • Insight • For the Birds Who’ve Disappeared • With Their Fingertips • The Match • The Snail • Oscillations • A Cat • Hyena • Whim • Alphabet • As If • Prayer II