This poem is taken from PN Review 287, Volume 52 Number 3, January - February 2026.
Poems
Translated by George O’Connell and Diana Shi
Slant
Slant sun,
slant window, bed, slippers.
Cat slanting
towards a sparrow.
Parsley sage rosemary and thyme
a chordal slant.
Slant coffee cup,
stomach, river tamarind tree.
Tides retreat and retreat,
slanting us.
Time slants,
your camera slants,
streetlamps, roads.
I watch you walk away –
walking away is slant.
...
Slant sun,
slant window, bed, slippers.
Cat slanting
towards a sparrow.
Parsley sage rosemary and thyme
a chordal slant.
Slant coffee cup,
stomach, river tamarind tree.
Tides retreat and retreat,
slanting us.
Time slants,
your camera slants,
streetlamps, roads.
I watch you walk away –
walking away is slant.
...
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