Wednesday 14 July 2010

And Having Killed Two Birds

AND HAVING KILLED TWO BIRDS
And having killed two birds with one stone
he attempted by a series of manipulative procedures
to perfect his exterminatory techniques
He succeeded shortly in swatting seven flies with one swipe of the Daily Express
His attention turned then to the possibilities of ants
His boot covered nearly half the hill's area
and six hundred bodies lay squashed in the mire
The survivors crawled quickly over his boot
up his trouser leg to his private parts

Before the first ant reached his navel
he fell over screaming at the pain of the stings
His head cracked open on a stone, brains and blood spilling out,
the red and the grey and the black merging
as two birds flew down, each to peck one eye
© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 29th June 1971

Publications

1972 Wormwood Review (USA)
1980 THE RAINBOW AND OTHER POEMS (Heckmondwyke, Fighting Cock Press)
1990 La Carta de Oliver (Argentina)

*****

Y HABIENDO MATADO DOS PAJAROS


Y habiendo matado dos pajaros una piedra
el intento con una serie de procedimientos manipuladores
perfeccionar sus tecnicas exterminadoras
En sequida tuvo exito dando un subito golpe a siete moscas
con el Daily Express
Su atencion se centro luego en las posibilidades con
hormigas
Su bota cubria cerca de la mitad del terreno de la colina
y seiscientos cuerpos yacian aplastados contra el lodo
Las sobrevivientes gatearon rapidamente a su bota
por sus pantalones hacia sus partes intimas

Antes que la orimera hormiga arribase a su ombligo
cayo gritando por el dolor de las picazones
Su cabeza se partio en dos sobre una piedra, cerebro y
sangre volcandose hacia afuera,
mientras dos pajaros bajaban volando, para picotear un ojo
cada uno.

GERALD ENGLAND

Traduccion: Matias Serra Bradford.


Publication

1990 La Carta de Oliver (Argentina)

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