名人诗歌|This Was Once a Love Poem

This was once a love poem，

before its haunches thickened， its breath grew short，

before it found itself sitting，

perplexed^{1 and a little embarrassed，}

on the fender of a parked car，

while many people passed by without turning their heads.

It remembers itself dressing^{2 as if for a great engagement.}

It remembers choosing these shoes，this scarf or tie.

Once， it drank beer for breakfast，drifted its feet

in a river side by side with the feet of another.

once it pretended shyness， then grew truly shy，

dropping its head so the fair would fall forward，

so the eyes would not be seen.

IT spoke^{3 with passion of history， of art.}

It was lovely then， this poem.

Under its chin， no fold of skin softened^4.

Behind the knees， no pad of yellow fat.

What it knew in the morning it still believed at nightfall.

An unconjured confidence lifted its eyebrows^{5， its cheeks.}

The longing^{6 has not diminished.}

Still it understands. It is time to consider a cat，

the cultivation^{7 of African violets or flowering cactus8.}

Yes， it decides：

Many miniature cacti^{9， in blue and red painted pots.}

When it finds itself disquieted¹⁰

by the pure and unfamiliar^{11 silence of its new life，}

it will touch themone， then another

with a single finger outstretched like a tiny flame.