blackbirdan online journal of literature and the artsFall 2010  Vol. 9  No. 2
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TOMAŽ ŠALAMUN
translation by Michael Thomas Taren

Hostage’s Poem

The sheep together with boats chew
the grass. In the dark we confound
the eagle and the colossus. There are
still leftovers in the stoves, pills and
bottles, the odor of hair is disinfected.
Then why so distant? Does the wind
make it different for us? And water
and grass that outgrows us? The strain is
that we’re not able to decay because of
your thoughts and illusions, that you will
learn. Learn what? That the tree won’t
burn? The lyric eats. People will still
join in heaps to go into the aesthetic
of sweet scent. We’ll still water the well.  end


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