Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu

CUCKOO VOICE

on the crowded boulevard
਍ഀ the words ran in opposite directions
਍ഀ I was weaned off speech
਍ഀ while others were giving praise
਍ഀ to colored balloons and fireworks
਍ഀ only my words were true
਍ഀ without ribbons or laces

I bought a wide brim hat
਍ഀ to hide my dumbness grimace among others
਍ഀ it feels so bad when you get into the light
਍ഀ from a bastard cocoon
਍ഀ it is so hard to fly
਍ഀ after crawling shamelessly

words are like one day old butterflies
਍ഀ flying in all directions
਍ഀ they have even learned to climb up to the moon
਍ഀ against my will they are strangers to me now

and while I try to catch them
਍ഀ like any other human
਍ഀ a black bird is at wake
਍ഀ under the cuckoo nest

* * *

GLAS DE CUC

pe bulevardul aglomerat
਍ഀ cuvintele alergau în direcţii opuse
਍ഀ am fost înţărcată de vorbire
਍ഀ în timp ce alţii aduceau omagii
਍ഀ baloanelor colorate şi artificiilor
਍ഀ doar cuvintele mele erau adevărate
਍ഀ fără panglici sau dantele

am cumpărat o pălărie cu bor larg
਍ഀ să-mi ascund grimasa de muţenie printre alţii
਍ഀ e atât de neplăcut când ieşi la lumină
਍ഀ dintr-un cocon bastard
਍ഀ este dificil să zbori
਍ഀ după ce te-ai târât fără ruşine

cuvintele sunt ca fluturii de-o zi
਍ഀ zboară în toate direcţiile
਍ഀ au învăţat chiar să urce până la lună
਍ഀ împotriva voinţei mele îmi sunt acum străine

şi în timp ce încerc să le prind
਍ഀ ca orişicare alt om
਍ഀ o pasăre neagră stă de priveghi
਍ഀ sub cuibul de cuc

Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu is a Romanian poet who has lived in Bucharest since birth. ਍ഀ She began writing poems in 2007 and haiku in March 2010. Her poems, haiku and haiga have appeared in a ਍ഀ variety of publications, most recently in Daily Haiga and Notes from the ਍ഀ Gean. Her work has also appeared in Ploc!, Asahi Shimbun, Sketchbook, Multiverses,਍ഀ the Romanian magazine Haiku and Mainichi Daily News.਍ഀ ਍ഀ