Notable Absence
Rachel Weber

In the winter, when you're away,

I imagine the world mourns with me.

The candy floss clouds turn dark in suspension,

The bus on Canal street runs late, and the milk sours seconds faster.

When ice grows on the oak, I do the things I can't when you're here.

I let the hair on my legs entwine, the soy sauce on my chin congeal.

I watch Oprah and sob, sing Abba with my mouth full.

On Christmas day, the only stockings I see are wrapped in gaudy paper,

A present from Aunty Ena to wear as I eat my radioactive meal for one.

And then suddenly it's spring, the world rises groggily from slumber,

And finds me shaved and scrubbed and scented.

The house dusted, the cushions laid on the couch in order of shade.

Everything ready so I can tell you I didn't even notice you were gone.

顯見(jiàn)的離別

雷切爾.韋伯

冬天，失去了你

我也就失去了自己。這個(gè)世界

有太多的悲傷。棉花糖般的

云彩，正陷入黑暗的境地

康納爾大街上公車(chē)遲遲不來(lái)，我手中的

牛奶啊，更快地變酸、在一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)失去香氣

當(dāng)冰凌掛滿(mǎn)橡樹(shù)枝頭，我在做著

在你面前從不敢做的一切：

長(zhǎng)發(fā)盤(pán)結(jié)我的雙腿，調(diào)味醬板結(jié)我的下巴

看奧普拉我卻哭泣，唱贊歌我卻滿(mǎn)嘴食物

這個(gè)圣誕，想著你啊

微波快餐更是味如嚼蠟。唯一的禮物

一雙長(zhǎng)筒絲襪，伊娜阿姨

將它包裝得似錦、如花。穿上它

恍然間我看到了春天、看到了這個(gè)世界

正搖搖晃晃地從我的睡夢(mèng)中醒轉(zhuǎn)

刮一把須，洗一把臉，讓香水

除去滿(mǎn)屋的塵土，讓襯墊

回歸躺椅，回歸它有圖案般的美麗。讓一切

都準(zhǔn)備好了。我多么想對(duì)你說(shuō)

我從未注意到啊，你早已離我遠(yuǎn)去