by Joel Sloman (20 pp. Saddle-Stitched) $7 ppd.
Responding to Cy Gist Press editor Mark Lamoureux's call for poets to do more translation, Joel Sloman created this homophonic, stereoscopic, phantasmagoric "translation" of the work of Austrian poet Georg Trakl. Sloman makes a sock poet of the author's solemn memory, dragging Trakl dumfounded into our contemporary world of Robin Williams films, scones and hip-hop workboots. With a fetching (pun intended) cover by Kate Ledogar. In the words of the author, "It's fucking hot, Snowy!"
Sanja
by Joel Sloman
A strange woman wearing a green sweater walks by
Open trucks with hoses guard alterations
Sonja’s legs rest on a chair, she is reviled
Cold regulates bums and hobos
I wave to the sightseers on the trolley
Sunflowers and more sunflowers are delighted
By Sonja’s white interpretation of reggae
Red snow—wondrous—bubbles
A blue clerk wears a muscle tee
Sonja’s shirt is dry cleaned, fumes
Tiers of turbans grates England
Ali’s young daughter wears a long red dress with silver sequin patterns
Sonja sips a thick mocha shake
Her son tags along after her
Her sage brow acknowledges loneliness
Her shirt is too stiff, it crackles
Extensions to her blond hair pinned
She’s disturbed, returns to England
Whatever happened to Neil Hornick?
Subterfuge of sunflowers!
The colors of blooms are already autumnal
A loitering, itinerant red wound
Jumps onto Sonja’s thigh
Yolks and whites break up, no more reggae
