Ah, sunflower, withered flower,
offspring of the empire,
I was away a long time
and now you are drooping.
Though there´s plenty of water in the bottom of the vase,
you wanted to lap up esteem,
as we all do, but it just
has to keep on increasing
if you´re to get enough to sustain you.
Time is always creating new opportunities
and change inflicting new wounds,
no one can be a success at everything,
in a moment the empire-livers
are left hungry as their world
crumbles. You poor little flower, your saffron dust.
Every day there´s a Big Crunch
and something always dies
when there´s
a lack of admiration.
Maarja Kangro (born 1973) Estonia
Translated by Mike Horwood
Source: Babel Web Anthology
offspring of the empire,
I was away a long time
and now you are drooping.
Though there´s plenty of water in the bottom of the vase,
you wanted to lap up esteem,
as we all do, but it just
has to keep on increasing
if you´re to get enough to sustain you.
Time is always creating new opportunities
and change inflicting new wounds,
no one can be a success at everything,
in a moment the empire-livers
are left hungry as their world
crumbles. You poor little flower, your saffron dust.
Every day there´s a Big Crunch
and something always dies
when there´s
a lack of admiration.
Maarja Kangro (born 1973) Estonia
Translated by Mike Horwood
Source: Babel Web Anthology
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