Florine Stettheimer

“Let’s celebrate
This faithful                            LINK
long flirtation

give a fête
invite many
They shall give us
Crystal things
Diamonds
Venetian glass
Perhaps
we could accept
Sapphires
Perhaps
we could build
a treasure house
all of glass.”
His glasses
strangely
dulled
his eyes

1871-1944

They became
an opaque barrier
on which
Our flirtation
Shattered
In a thousand
Splinters. *

“Occasionally
A human being
Saw my light
Rushed in
Got singed
Got scared

LINK

Rushed out
Called fire
Or it happened
That he tried
To subdue it
Or it happened
He tried to extinguish it
Never did a friend
Enjoy it
The way it was
So I learned
http://queermodernisms.wordpress.com        To turn it low
Turn it out
When I meet a stranger -
Out of courtesy
I turn on a soft
Pink light
Which is found modest
Even charming
It is a protection
Against wear
And tears
And when I am rid of
The Always-to-be-Stranger
I turn on my light
 And become myself.”

* "Świętujmy

Ten wierny
długi flirt
zróbmy Fête
zaprośmy wielu
Powinni nam podarować
kryształowe rzeczy
diamenty
szkło weneckie
być może
przyjmiemy
szafiry
być może
zbudujemy
skarbiec
wszelkiego szkła ".
jego okulary
dziwnie
matowe
jego oczy
1871-1944
stały się
nieprzejrzystą barierą
o którą
Nasze bałamuctwo
Roztrzaskało się
W tysiące
Drzazg.