Corina Gina Papouis

bibliography

Born in Romania, Galati

Lived in Kuwait 1992-1995

In London, UK since…

Dip HE in Child Health, BSC with Honours in Public Health

Currently employed by Southwark PCT (Primary Care Trust), London.

Writing poetry since 1997, July. Published in a few Romanian magazines.

Collaborating on various literary sites in English and Romanian.

Translating poetry Romanian-English for various poets.

Editor on Agonia.net since 1998.

Planning to publish my first poetry book in English in 2010.

Blind date (English)

I’m looking for man

With rough palms and long gaze stretching

All the way to the horizon

(a crusty bread which you can hardly bite

but still hot in the middle)

I shall wait for him at life’s corner

With a blue butterfly in my hair

wearing a turquoise dress with poppies

weaving only in the wind of tenderness

I am looking for man

Without large tattoos on his heart

Who’s walk is high and

Smile freshly torn from childhood

I shall be bare foot

To feel the warmth

Of the earth he’s stepping on

And in my left hand there shall be an orchid

Because I come from afar

I am looking for man

With serious intentions of changing the world,

Who is good at fixing broken ideals

And paring up illusions

By colour/ year/ trend

I may be easily recognised

I was once beautiful

My eyes widely open towards the sea

Lips arched in the shape of hope

And words still fully rounded

In shape

however long it takes

I’ll be waiting

Draft

(letter to a missed one)

nothing’s changed since you left...

I butter the toast and take my vitamins

every morning

the postman drops the mail

at 11 am sharp

on Tuesdays I listen

to my favourite programme

(the one with the Archers)

on Radio4

on Thursdays

I call Richard

for a chat

you know Richard,

(the one who’s younger daughter married the famous actor then got divorced and married a barrister)

and sometimes

I watch the blades of grass

waving

in the back garden

for no reason

yesterday I bought a dictionary

(it was rather expensive)

I’ve been looking for this word...

but living without you must be so bad

that they couldn’t even give it a name

P.I.C.U.

3.59 am

a monitor

two parallel lines
like a road going nowhere

a mother sits on
a hospital linoleum

by her side
death kneels
politely
holding a child’s hand



*P.I.C.U = Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

Rush

he was grabbing my hand

often

dragging me at warp speed through

universe

my hair was getting caught

in the corners of

unknown stars

(there are new planets

with dinosaurs and lava

out there

and no warning signs!)

blood was running

from my cheeks

to his cheeks

our heads up side down

into black holes

or chaos or light

I had no idea

this was a force

and we were obeying it

Blind date

caut bărbat
cu palme aspre şi privire lungă
pînă-n orizont
(o pîine scorţoasă din care se muşcă greu
dar încă fierbinte la mijloc)

îl voi aştepta la întorsura vieţii
cu un fluture albastru în păr
îmbrăcată în rochie turquoise cu maci
unduind doar în adierea tandreţii

caut bărbat
fără tatuaje mari pe inimă
cu mers înalt şi
zîmbet crud smuls din copilărie

voi fi în picioarele goale
să-i pot simţi căldura
pămîntului pe care calcă
iar în mîna stîngă voi purta o orhidee
pentru că vin de departe

caut bărbat
cu intenţii serioase de a schimba lumea,
care se pricepe la reparat idealuri zdrobite
şi la împerecheat iluzii
după nuanţă/ an/ trend

pot fi recunoscută uşor
am fost odată frumoasă
ochii mi-au rămas deschişi spre mare
buzele arcuite în speranţă
iar cuvintele au încă forme pline
de înţeles


aştept oricît...

*P.I.C.U

3.59 am

un monitor

două linii paralele
ca un drum spre nicăieri

o mamă se aşază pe
linoleum de spital

lîngă ea
moartea îngenunchează
din politeţe
cu un copil de mînă




*P.I.C.U = Paediatric Intensive Care Unit