Swans
IX.iii. ( its a swans ) warm ( welcome ) ( pt. 1 )
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
and yet { we shiver } in the distant glitter,
the fortress of our heart shagged with ice.
( a knock at the door ) ( trick or treat ? )
this bleak house hollowed out of stone, the mist
my breath, my silken - white diaphanous
nightgown, toes darkly webbed, at least by half.
( how else to go both barefoot and en pointe ? )
be still, we pause before the show. and have
been cold for a long time. for the listener
( another knock )
who listens in the snow, nothing herself,
beholds nothing that is not there, in fair
proportion to the nothing that we are.
( a third knock at the door )
O one must have a mind ( - outfit ) of winter
to admit the heraldess of a new she-dyad,
( as KUKNEION swans over behind a red
velvet curtain, to peek out and listen )
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
O( we would be )( every )all( whole )( men )citizens !
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
( speaking from behind the curtain )
O ( we would be ) whole ( these ) ( its ) citizens too,
O we would be { silver and copper } and gold
( of course ) in all the best ratios, O we
would be an animal of written words,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
for now in this way these( things )have-and-hold( viper-dyad )
( viper-dyad has-and-holds these things )( by viper-dyad )
( you hold yourself to these things )( and to the viper-dyad )
( it pours )( lets it flow )( sheds tears )( spreads waves )
( piles and heaps up )( issues forth )( it sheds ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
( speaking to myself ) ( yet quietly )
as a rush of something it lets go the snake,
its sibilants and plosives in my ear,
the tingle up my spine, o passing near, away,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
( you plural — )make room( give way, retire )
( be oppressed by weight, overpowered, hard-pressed )
( hurry and be eager )immediately for the( she )general
( the she-door of the generals tent )( the she - flag - ship ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
( speaking to many myselfs ) ( yet quietly )
as we plural really are of many minds,
theres something in me nervous and afraid
but something else inside here spoken craves
a kind of weight, not just of feathers white,
and not just of this sensuous curtain,
and isnt this exactly what my dreams of,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
in order that by you( plural )the( she )fortune( chance )
( to - by - for )( men )( casting and )obtaining by lots
would show( point out, tell, declare, explain )
( you would - will muse upon, ponder, consider,
contrive, perceive, observe, guard, beware )
according( downwards - over - against )as each( he - it )man( dyad )
whithersoever( you - plural )would( will )make a meal;
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
and its important and official me.
my me at least would love to have a meal,
my other me would love to be a meal,
my other me to live well through the feast.
its always nice when we can find a balance.
but looking around at my place here
its a sort of empty and severe stone castle,
but theres plenty of floor to go around,
doesnt it seem like floor enough to share ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
as the( o she )tables( dining tables )( tables
dedicated to the gods )( money-changers
or counters )( banks )( she bankers )at least
they( we )are( o women )heaping - up( to - by - for )( her heaping up )
of( women, men, things )good( men, things )all
and( indeed )( women )preparing( alongside )( women ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
O appreciation - ship of all good things,
and women alongside women, that sounds safe,
dont we enjoy preparing with women, we ask myself ?
and my cat, rubbing against my ankles, replies
meow ? and oh, how sweet. it wants permission.
as long as we dont take my white wings off ?
or unlace these satin ribbons, cross by cross . . .
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
and( she )couches( to be laid )( lie down, you )
of goats-hair and( indeed )of carpets and rugs
( o women )piling up( pressing )( cramming full ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
with my neck as lithe and long and curving as an S,
sometimes my head gets knotted in itself.
but nobodys making assumptions here,
we cant say what it means by cramming full,
by pleasure or by pain, or can we ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
( theyre )mixing-together( to - by - for )( hims
and its mixing )( the )( him )( wine )vessel,
the( o women )perfumers have stood in a row,
the( its )( she - dyad )( it - dyad )slices of fish
are being fanned( for raising the fire ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
with unpredictable results, but whats
in here is getting hot despite the chill,
my heartbeat flutters like a little fan.
we imagine, could it really lead to danger ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
the( he )hares( sea slugs )( birds with rough - feathered
feet )( to - by - for the hare )are being impaled
( crucified )( fixed on a spit )( transfixed ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
theres only one way that sounds good to me,
we should admit. but now it seems too late
for prohibition, as were already feeling it,
its giving me a deep tissue massage,
my feet, that this would be its eucharist,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
the( its )round( offering )cakes are being baked
( softened )( ripened )( matured )( digested )
( nursed )( brooded over )( gorging themselves ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
until around the hearth its gotten rather wet,
its won, but wait, not yet, O feast of animals,
who would protect this place, once we let you in ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
( the )( o he )crowns( wreaths )( surrounding circling walls )
are being plaited( twined )( twisted )( braided )( devised ),
( the )sweetmeats( dried fruit )are roasting( the sweetmeats ),
( the )( she )earthen pots( of her earthen pot )of pulses( lentils )
( dal )( etnous )( yet - nous )( still - thinking - thinking - thinking )
( theyre )simmering( stewing )the( shes )youngest( nom - nom ),
ὦ πάντες ἀστοί, νῦν γὰρ οὕτω ταῦτ᾽ ἔχει,
(835) χωρεῖτ᾽ ἐπείγεσθ᾽ εὐθὺ τῆς στρατηγίδος,
ὅπως ἂν ὑμῖν ἡ τύχη κληρουμένοις
φράσῃ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἄνδρ᾽ ὅποι δειπνήσετε:
ὡς αἱ τράπεζαί γ᾽ εἰσὶν ἐπινενησμέναι
ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων καὶ παρεσκευασμέναι,
(840) κλῖναί τε σισυρῶν καὶ δαπίδων †νενασμέναι†,
κρατῆρα συγκιρνᾶσιν, αἱ μυροπώλιδες
ἑστᾶσ᾽ ἐφεξῆς, τὰ τεμάχη ῥιπίζεται,
λαγῷ᾽ ἀναπηγνύασι, πόπανα πέττεται,
στέφανοι πλέκονται, φρύγεται τραγήματα,
(845) χύτρας ἔτνους ἕψουσιν αἱ νεώταται.
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
with all of this yet fore - the - play ? o me
( my circumspecter self arrives at this )
do you think they really eat it, like( nom - nom ) ?
but thought reminds me its a natural process,
so as never to be bored, dead, or ungracious,
we would welcome-in this, its she-heraldess.
but here comes my hab(r)itual r(h)esistance,
cause its a seemly thing that thinkers do.
and we want more on their relationships,
between the hims and hers, the hims and its,
the its and these she-dyads, new, if ours
were to receive this company some wrote.
as { he lives by the river } blue, yet its
still hard to hold the three - foot canter still,
and { shes born of the bog } beautys un-will
by bodys vessel brewed in brackish muck,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
but Smoios( to - by - for )( you - know - whos )( mini - me )
in( to )herselves having - and - holding
( they throw and heap up earth )( they bury )
( the fem - accused )equipment( garment )of a horse,
the( it - things )( she - dyad )of the women
( it )purges - through( cleanses thoroughly )
( youre being purged )( the she - dyad )
( the )cups( bowls )( of the women )( by its tongues ? )
Σμοῖος δ᾽ ἐν αὐταῖς ἱππικὴν στολὴν ἔχων
τὰ τῶν γυναικῶν διακαθαίρει τρύβλια.
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
of course we want to let them in, swiftly,
and yet were occupied by dubious hints.
such as, wherefore equipment of the horse,
when its a swan behind my drawn curtain ?
such as { his hair is ash and silver } and though
handsome, by now seems hollow, brittle, old, eh ?
such as { her curls a coppery glow } seems warm
though every metals prone to flashing cold,
( meanwhile stuff lying everywhere, my notes
here, squiggly brackets and parentheses, there
the valley - cum - palace looks a mess ) but guess
their golden-locks to lasting happiness ?
and whats a pretty verb for how they wed ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
but Geron( the old man )( prize )makes( chorei )room
( for another )( gives way )( goes and comes )
for( the )( she - accused )shawl - of - wool
( blanket )( wedding - mantle )( you make room )
( you give way )( you come and go )
and( indeed )( the he - dyad )ashen( dusty )feet
having - and - holding( he - dyad )( ashen - dusty - feet ),
( he - nom )laughing - aloud( in their midst )
along( in common )with( the )( he - it )other youth,
Γέρων δὲ χωρεῖ χλανίδα καὶ κονίποδε
ἔχων, καχάζων μεθ᾽ ἑτέρου νεανίου:
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
they make love sound like easy laughter then,
and letting in may make it really so,
but of appetites of men we grow aware.
and would they even stop if it said no ?
so draw this curtain round me everywhere,
my dance of swan, the wood walks into me,
my little-red, my horses - riding - hood,
its me on her, my her on it, the sex —
such as { his eyes are the colour of moss }
while it swaggers in like a rolling stone,
such as { hers like lake water blue } reflect
but may project only my pleasures back
at this, its they ( the her ) ( the him ) for real ?
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
but( the )( she - nom )felt slipper( its let him in )
( he - nom )( stepping - lightly )( in )( upon )( a ship )
( is )placed( laid down )( set before )( in repose )
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
he looks at her, she looks at him,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
and( indeed )( the )( he - nom )threadbare cloak
( he + she )( nom )( practiced - old-hand - rogue )
( the he - nom )( rubbing )( spending )( grinding -
out )( of worn and beaten )( following )( paths )
( he - being )thrown( cast )( hurled )( tossed about )
towards( - upon - against )( so as to face )( in con-
sequence of )( in relation to )these( its - accused ),
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
so lets imagine for the sake of argument,
my hands have lost their treaty with the door,
my feet have lost their contact with the floor,
its face - to - face with its accused, what more,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
( you - plural )make room( make way! )( come
and go! )( it makes way )( it comes and goes )
as the( man - nom )the( she - accused )barley - cake
( he - nom )bearing( carrying )( conveying )( enduring )
( suffering )( fetching )( producing )( causing )( paying due )
( they had made )( it )has made a stand( thick cake ),
(850) ἐμβὰς δὲ κεῖται καὶ τρίβων ἐρριμμένος.
πρὸς ταῦτα χωρεῖθ᾽, ὡς ὁ τὴν μᾶζαν φέρων
ἕστηκεν:
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
O shes been mixed, fermented, baked, reborn,
to let him in stirs dread, and yet hers joins,
and loves a cake, spake oven of my loins,
as { he smells like a burning church } and how
we would unseat the flame from elder wood,
{ and she of flowers of marsh } as sweet the bloom
when in doom she lets linger softest air.
but still, my swan without assent. wings carried
by this, the bakers baker, half-way back to bed,
his payment stood, a tricky sleep, he slips
by me, its she - accused,
KERUKAINA( SHE-MESSENGER ):
but still the( she - accused )jaws
( you - plural )( are opening )open - through,
ἀλλὰ τὰς γνάθους διοίγνυτε.
KUKNEION( OF A SWAN ):
its true, so ope my jaws, open - me - through.
and now ( o my ) light disappears under the red
felt blankets of oblivions delight
to bed, to wed, the feast, her last mens might
as all the stage comes in — good night, good night.
//
from hymn to Apollo
Apologia
Odyssey XIV
Ekklesiazusai