albanian

your shadow slips from the chair

your shadow slips from the chair

From Issue 3, a poem by Luljeta Lleshanaku, translated from the Albanian by Henry Israeli & Shpresa Qatipi

Displeasures and Felicities

Displeasures and Felicities

An excerpt from bruno darío's LANTANA OR, THE INDISSOLUBLE EXHALATION, translated from Spanish by Kit Schluter

I wish most of all to replace desire

I wish most of all to replace desire

Three poems from Theory of The Voice and Dream by Liliana Ponce, translated from the Spanish by Michael Martin Shea

everything is allowed

everything is allowed

Four poems by Roberta Iannamico, translated from Spanish by Alexis Almeida.

Is the sun out anywhere on earth?

Is the sun out anywhere on earth?

water on water that hastens and overflows

water on water that hastens and overflows

there must be a world between us

there must be a world between us

an animal twice animal

an animal twice animal

stepping on eggshells with leaden feet

stepping on eggshells with leaden feet

vagueness has erased the inessential

vagueness has erased the inessential

mother cuts the truth with scissors

mother cuts the truth with scissors

under the lead of clouds

under the lead of clouds

choking, little by little

choking, little by little

half-built with syllables

half-built with syllables

what ancestral mercy

what ancestral mercy

Pursued between the cracks of countries

Pursued between the cracks of countries

and gone are the seasons/ dormant under smoke

and gone are the seasons/ dormant under smoke

And how we violated the calm

And how we violated the calm

penned in by a semi-sick swaying

penned in by a semi-sick swaying

The greater part of death comes over me

The greater part of death comes over me

After death you will scratch at infinity

After death you will scratch at infinity

pounds of flesh, bile, phlegm, spit, dust

pounds of flesh, bile, phlegm, spit, dust

with the city we have enough of nostalgia

with the city we have enough of nostalgia

Dragon (Drache) by Anselm Kiefer
the urban tedium of the coast

the urban tedium of the coast

They were a horse perhaps

They were a horse perhaps

And we wolfed down the rocks they put on the table.

And we wolfed down the rocks they put on the table.

walled up between the hours

walled up between the hours

and after sessions luxurious and tender

and after sessions luxurious and tender

Should we stop to breathe as we open a parenthesis in the dream

Should we stop to breathe as we open a parenthesis in the dream

Thirst, its golden circumstances

Thirst, its golden circumstances

that which flies, flaps, beats

that which flies, flaps, beats

Underneath all of this there’s a song

Underneath all of this there’s a song

a pilot dodging wood and granite crosses

a pilot dodging wood and granite crosses

to measure the body or to neglect it

to measure the body or to neglect it

Outside: The entire dead ocean, emptying itself

Outside: The entire dead ocean, emptying itself

Your breath bright with presence is origin.

Your breath bright with presence is origin.

A wild tiger’s excesses. Or an ocelot.

A wild tiger’s excesses. Or an ocelot.

the color of time on a ruined wall

the color of time on a ruined wall

a failed defense against our common fate

a failed defense against our common fate

On the table, to the side of the door, is my heart

On the table, to the side of the door, is my heart

They don’t alliterate October with gold falling from the fragile trees

They don’t alliterate October with gold falling from the fragile trees

There is a lawless canyon in our lips, a labyrinth whose exits are burning.

There is a lawless canyon in our lips, a labyrinth whose exits are burning.

Long ago I found out that you were an unfinished animal

Long ago I found out that you were an unfinished animal

I opened an ossuary and saw the bones

I opened an ossuary and saw the bones

blessed by vagabond hands with a box of wine

blessed by vagabond hands with a box of wine

three barricades three barricades and one dark night

three barricades three barricades and one dark night