Elephant Small Vol 4, Page 3
Stanski
35. Aphrodisiac Eyes
Beautiful vision
Golden sunbeams backlight hair
Soft halo framing face
Enchanting me
She’s looking my way
Through aphrodisiac eyes
Subliminal signals
Arousing me
Closer to me now
Stimulating sweet desires
Exploiting weaknesses
Seducing me
Hers, a love supreme
Heaven sent; a Greek Goddess
On a divine mission
To fulfil me
Passion fruit princess
Leads me to the Promised Land
Lifelong summer of love
To complete me
36. Overstating The Terroir
‘The Dresden clock continued ticking on the mantelpiece
And the footman sat upon the dining-table
Holding the second housemaid on his knees--
Who had always been so careful while her mistress lived’
From ‘Aunt Helen’ by T.S. Eliot
Uncork me a fine wine of elegant nose
Releasing English liquorice and roast herbes de Provence
Thick, harsh, and powerful, Chậteauneuf du Pape
Vibrantly coloured, rich mahogany red
Virile and masculine, with muscular tannins
Ground pepper, lavender, loamy soil undertones
Exotic essence, suggesting cloves awash with fruits
Cassis… sweet framboise… smoky fried cherry notes
To complement a bouquet of spice and old leather
Themes that transport me to grandfather’s drawing room
Cuban cigar smoke clouding the atmosphere
The Dresden clock… ticking on the mantelpiece
Inside that big old ancestral mansion house
…And the footman, sat upon the dining table
Glaring acetone; volatile acidity
Deep and dense, with a complexity of balance
Holding the second housemaid on his knees
An impressive structure, not lacking in finesse
A beautiful, perfectly rounded body
Exhibiting her own fruitiness and fatness
Mischievous, tantalising characteristics
That dance on the palate. A command performance
Leading to a long silky finish from the girl
Who had always been so careful while her mistress lived
37. Dog Eat Dog
Don’t tell me I’m over-reacting.
I’ll give you thirty two good reasons;
Better still, thirty two good hidings
One for each stitch the physician sewed.
I’ll give you thirty two good reasons
- Lessons in responsibility
One for each stitch the physician sewed -
Why my reaction is justified.
Lessons in responsibility;
Barely adequate compensation.
While my reaction is justified,
There’s still an outstanding bill to pay.
Barely adequate compensation
To show me the money; call it quits.
There’s still an outstanding bill to pay,
Although cash sounds reasonable… just.
Show me the money; we’ll call it quits?
I’d like to take my own pound of flesh,
Although cash sounds reasonable. Just
Don’t tell me I’m over-reacting.
I’d like to take my own pound of flesh.
Today, dark clouds dominate.
Don’t tell me I’m over-reacting;
Precipitation likely.
Today, dark clouds dominate;
Low pressure system develops;
Precipitation likely.
Long-term forecast, more promising.
Low pressure system develops.
Overcast conditions apply.
Long-term forecast, more promising;
Horizon coming into view.
Overcast conditions apply.
Sunny intervals later;
Horizon coming into view.
Perspective adjustment follows.
Sunny intervals later.
Tomorrow, a clear blue sky.
Perspective adjustment follows.
Today, dark clouds dominate.
Tomorrow, a clear blue sky;
The calm comes after the storm.
Today, dark clouds dominate.
Don’t tell me I’m over-reacting.
38. Dad
Thinking a lot
recently
about my Dad
He would have been
ninety years old
on the first of June
Twenty Ten
He didn’t do
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Metaphorical Milestones
‘Unnecessary fuss’
I think that’s because
they served as reminders
of things he’d rather
have chosen to forget
Terrible things
Unspeakable things
He’d survived the War
Nazi and Communist
Occupation
Atrocities
leading to allied conscription
One of just a few
who came down the hill
Monte Cassino
Bloody Battlefield
to Bloody Battlefield
to Palestine
before England
where he spent
the next sixty years
struggling long and hard
to survive the peace
At home
Dad was one of those guys
you only needed to ask once
He didn’t forget or ignore
Ask him three months in advance
He’d remember
Every detail
He just had a gift for it
I once made the mistake
of reminding him
two weeks after first asking
You know what he said?
‘I heard you the first time’
I’m kinda like him
I don’t forget
If I can help it
I’ll never forget Dad
I can’t help it
39. Non Ci Resta Che Piangere
Buongiorno
or should I have said
Boungiorno Notte…?
The Sun Also shines at night, don’t you know?
Yesterday, I was drunk
Seven kilometres from Jerusalem
talking to The Caiman
Was I seeing double?
He appeared to be
Come due coccodrilli
and they were telling me
Tales of Ordinary Madness
‘You know what?’ they say
‘La vita è bella
...La seconda volta
Volere volare
Tutta la vita davanti
è
La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo
Fuori dal mondo
…Come te nessuno mai’
There were no sub-titles for me
so, in broken English, they explained
‘Don’t move
Once you’re born you can no longer hide
The keys to the house’
Translations And Films
NON CI RESTA CHE PIANGERE - Nothing left to do but cry 1985
Buongiorno - Good morning
Boungiorno Notte – Good morning night 2003
The Sun Also shines at night 1990
Seven kilometres from Jerusalem 2007
The Caiman 2006
Come due coccodrilli – Like two crocodiles 1994
Tales of Ordinary Madness 1981- also a Charles Bukowski title
La vita è bella – Life is beautiful 1997
La seconda volta –The second time 1995
Volere volare – To want
to fly - 1991
Tutta la vita davanti - All your life ahead of you 2008
è - is
La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo – The tragedy of a ridiculous man 1981
Fuori dal mondo – Not of this world 1999
Come te nessuno mai – But forever in my mind 1999
Don’t move 2004
Once you’re born you can no longer hide 2005
The keys to the house 2004
40. Buon Appetito
Bruno’s got his work cut out stasera
dealing with a new age breed
of teppisti malavitosi
who think that Antipasti
is the name of a rock ‘n’ roll band
It’s not just their arrogant college grad tones
that Bruno finds so seccante
They’re all wearing suits from Milano
that shout in voices louder still
And so they come to his house
and they ask him to commit murder…
(They’ve ordered a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau
Apparently, the new Valpolicella)
…by passing on a cooking tip or two
Somebody do him a favour
Un favore, per favore
The day will never come
when Bruno cooks with rapeseed oil
rather than olio d’oliva
serves glasses of Beaujolais
in place of Valpolicella
melts chunks of Swiss Gruyère
…the new Mozarella, don’t you know?
He could be forgiven
if, at this preciso momento
he’s feeling rather proud
to call himself Italiano
Unlike someone else he could mention
like that trendy TV gourmet chef
who goes by his alter ego
of Capo Di Tutti Capi
…Un duro periodo di miseria elapses
Thinks: Il capo… egli diventa
an overnight sensation
disgracing his famiglia
in the process of growing rich
A complete embarrassment
to the Italian nation
This man has surely incurred the wrath
of paesani Siciliano
TRANSLATIONS
BUON APPETITO – Enjoy Your Meal
stasera – tonight/this evening
teppisti malavitosi – underworld thugs
Antipasti – (literally) before the meal
seccante – irritating/tiresome
Milano - Milan
Valpolicella – Italian wine (similar characteristics to Beaujolais)
Un favore, per favore – a favour, please
olio d’oliva – olive oil
Mozarella – Italian cheese (similar characteristics to Swiss Gruyère
preciso momento – precise moment
Italiano – Italian
Capo Di Tutti Capi – Boss of Bosses
Un duro periodo di miseria – a hard time of misery
Il capo… egli diventa – the boss… he became
famiglia - family
paesani Siciliano – Sicilian people
41. Dreamtime
Thirty four year trophy drought
Devils, Potters would not quench
Silverware in short supply
Dream on hold for one more year?
Last night – Fantasy Football
Pensioners given The Blues
And those two Reds played their part
Minds more on Bridge than Stamford?
Double double re-ignites
Dream of City Glory Days
One step closer to Big Dream
European Champions!
But let’s not forget the past
Dreamtime era – Eighty One
Back in the day we promised
To pay our respects in full
When the dream we share comes true
We’ll look behind us, and say
“There’s no one quite like John Bond
He has helped us on our way”
42. The Future
When twilight’s veil announces sun’s retreat
Those holier than thou shall say ‘Repent’
Will you be ready to admit defeat?
They’ll speak in voices they think heaven sent
That overturn the order of the soul
You’ve paid your dues up front - you owe no rent
Still they’ll persist; your dignity their goal
Not Christ, nor Hiroshima; loaded gun
Could influence this mind they would control
So things are gonna slide; it won’t be fun
You know… it’s not your first night on this Earth
You’ve seen the future… seen the setting sun
The Present
Salute Cicada sunset serenade
Propose a toast to evening’s golden glow
Watch twilight fall as light transforms to shade
The solstice sun sure likes to go down slow
…To match the mood of hope for summer love?
Caged birds fly free not wishing to forego
This gentle glimpse of goodness from above
For things unknown but longed for still they yearn
Like unrequited passion; hand in glove
Though bathed in evening’s glory, they too learn
That freedom is a dream that won’t come true
Their hopes are dashed; and to their cage return
The Past (Reprise)
Harmonium, distorted Tabla beat
Keyboard, Soprano Sax; ethereal
Paid homage to the summer twilight heat
The evening air with tones imperial
And watched the sunset stain the sky blood-red
As sundown sang its nightly serial
Crescendo built in waves of words unsaid
As darkness overcame the sinking sun
And fleeting signals echoed in my head
While dreams proclaimed ‘goodnight the day is done’
The music faded - Tabla tones beat on
The mellow tune retired; its course was run
Acknowledgements:
THE FUTURE
‘Repent’,
overturn the order of the soul
Christ
Hiroshima
things are gonna slide
seen the future
All from the song ‘The Future’ by Leonard Cohen
THE PRESENT
things unknown but longed for still
From the poem ‘I know why the caged bird sings’ by Maya Angelou
Set to music by Branford Marsalis
THE PAST
Based on ‘Jewels of love’ by Pharaoh Sanders
43. bad day
you must be mad if you think
i’ll have a happy birthday
when i’m feeling so nervous
i could drown in my own sweat
as if things weren’t bad enough
the party you planned for me
is all you talk of lately
why do you obsess yourself
with such trivial matters
what with carbon emissions
glacial meltdown caused by drought
warming the arctic circle
raising global sea levels
all adding to my sorrow
44. Joined At The Hip
When Angels say “Good Morning!”
It’s like sixty minutes on acid
It is either good or bad
You know... it makes my head look smaller
Makes me desire things repulsive
Things with hairless armpits, but full of hatred
With no possibility of cheating
I notice all the little details
The way things really, honestly are
Freedom is the worst thing
And young achievers need difficulties
...Or have I stopped making sense?
That I don’
t notice these things anymore
Helps me remember to forget
Poets compare; idiots repeat
I really do enjoy forgetting
The best thing in life is me
...I’ve written it down somewhere
*
*
*
*
*
SEPARATED 1
It’s like sixty minutes on acid
You know... it makes my head look smaller
I notice all the little details
The way things really, honestly are
Or have I stopped making sense?
That I don’t notice these things anymore
Helps me remember to forget
I really do enjoy forgetting
...I’ve written it down somewhere
SEPARATED 2
When Angels say “Good Morning!”
It is either good or bad
Makes me desire things repulsive
Things with hairless armpits, but full of hatred
With no possibility of cheating
Freedom is the worst thing
And young achievers need difficulties
Poets compare; idiots repeat
The best thing in life is me
DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?
Here’s the full quotations:
It's like 60 Minutes on acid.
I like it, murder, because this is courage. It is anti-bourgeois. Murder is closer to heaven, because after becoming remords de conscience, one prays, one opens the sky, and the angels say, “Good morning!”
I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger. ...
In the subconscious you fuck ugly people, never beautiful, because the libido always desires something repulsive.
What is an elegant woman? An elegant woman is a woman who despises you and who has no hair under her arms.
Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.
I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.
