Scene With
Blind AngelsOn Sunday, one woman
washes the clothes
of a thousand blind children
in a copper pot.In the evening, she rinses the laundry
in the tub of the sweet river,
she wrings out the clothes and hangs them
on a line to dry
in a grove of cherry trees.§ § §
The AngelLeaning against the window frame, the Angel
smokes a long cigar,
At midnight, you can spot him hunched
over a small table, staring at a hand of cards.A young man will come from the East
with blue clothes and green eyes.
All the dark-haired women in the City will hang from his curls,
like so many copper coins.A tall man, his youth past,
will come from the North.
His eyes are dark, he smells of alcohol,
he wears an ashen mantle.
From his neck will hang all the women
of the City with green eyes,
Like so many golden coins.They will come to face the Angel,
young man and old man.
The young in riding clothes;
the old man, under a hairshirt.They will come to face the Angel,
young man and old man.
The young in riding clothes;
an old man, under a hairshirt.They will play dice for a week.
Then, cards for a month, day and night,
The Angel stands by the foggy window
rubbing his hands in the cold.Cigarette smoke will hang over their heads,
cigar butts, ashes, and empty bottles will cover the floor.
The men lose their gold and copper coins.
He --- the halo of braided straw
which he lost long ago.--- From Second Hand Souls
Nichita Danilov
Translated from the Romanian
by Sean Cotter
©2003 Twisted Spoon Press
Box 21 --- Preslova 12
150 000 Prague 5, Czech RepublicGo to a review of Danilov's bookGo to more poems
by Danilov