Rodica Draghincescu
These Are Me and I Become My Own Friend


Should I do introductions?
this is the railroad
these the arms these the legs
this is the see-through dress
excited to make its getaway from the body
ALSO I HAD
a newly furnished head
I set it ASIDE
to bring it to its senses
I turned it over
to see its GREEN pinky-pink buttocks
also I had
a bouquet of fine features
two PER MUSCLE
in the style of the woman who sells absorbent cotton and tampons
maybe I also should have something
clear favorite conclusive
(like a shoulder with a grain de beauté
that immediately could realize if it were lied to
about spring’s arrival wafting Parisian perfumes)
these are FINGERS
(which my mother always counted
until I began to tell her MAMA
THERE ARE 10 OF THEM AND THEY STILL OBEY ME
now they glissando because
they’ve grown up
and need to move mysteriously
otherwise going to
other fingers’ parties seems pointless)
THIS IS SHAME an
arithmetic of silk
she’s young and can’t explain herself wellI let it make use of my body and it
pushed in close upon her
happy and not really used to
such sophisticated names
WHO asked it WHY
this is the train
a sort OF drawer
where I keep all manner of bodies
to put it bluntly
these are me and
I’ve become my own friend

Translated from Romanian by Adam J. Sorkin and Antuza Genescu