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