Summa Summarum

by Aurora Antonovic

the sum of sums
is that we can never give
more than we take

that autumn will tumble into spring
without winter being noticed

loneliness becomes a need to escape the crowds

and even the brightest of sunrises
inevitably turns into falling sunsets
holding on with its burgeoning embers

[First published in Adagio Verse Quarterly.]
Copyright © Aurora Antonovic 2004

Lazy Afternoon

by Aurora Antonovic

You say,
There is no better way
To spend a Saturday afternoon,
Than having your back rubbed
By artist's hands.
As I massage and knead
Your already limber muscles,
I notice streaks of raw umber
And cadmium red paint
On my busy fingers,
And wonder
If you are grateful,
I was not making pottery
Instead.

Copyright © Aurora Antonovic 2004

Moon-Speak

by Aurora Antonovic

heavy and orange
with spindles of tree branches
scratching across its surface
the moon hangs in defiance
of that which calls it down

listen to the moon
follow its enchanted example

it does not belong on graveled path
and neither do you

Copyright © Aurora Antonovic 2004

I Am a Female Samson

by Aurora Antonovic

I always see myself with my hair long, even
when it is not, and I think I feel it tickling my
elbows and wrists, falling over my arms
as I write my letters. I think I feel it growing as
I rake the yard, run for the subway, or take a
thoughtful walk in the old grand park that has a
mansion with a balcony. I see myself in my mind’s
eye with my hair stretching past my waist; I
feel myself sitting on it, feel the power it
gives me from my roots down to the tips of my
tired toes. I go to sleep with you brushing it, even
though you are not here.

Copyright © Aurora Antonovic 2004