APRILIA ZANK

APRILIA ZANK

SNOW IN THE CITY

early morning

the first tyres

crash the virgin snow

like greedy grooms

on the first night

with dowerless brides

tiny birds

on frozen branches

pray to avian gods

for crumbs of survival

stray dogs watch pet dogs

from behind

dilapidated mattresses

pet dogs wait patiently

for owners to collect

dog shit

in plastic bags

specially provided

for this purpose –

for a wink of time

there is a flatter

of unseen wings

the echo of a chime

too distant to perceive

a numinous glow

through ragged clouds

but the snow ploughs

assault the city

steel bites on concrete

and in shop windows

spurious angels beckon

with deceptive wings

WONDERING WHAT TO PUT ON FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

12.12.2012

today as I was waiting

for the world to end

I was just wondering

what to put on,

what would fit best

for a decent appearance

we aren't, after all, bestowed

with such an event every day

in case of death by fire

I appreciated

my black and red sequin dress

to be most effective

with its host of

glistening stars

to take me closer to heaven

but if it were death by water

this would be totally out of place

much too tight

and colour mismatched

so I'd rather pick out

the long blue-green one

in silk – a cascade of layers

and veils with delicate pearls

perfectly fitting the billows

and willows which I'd see

for the very last time

but, no, not a good choice

for death by fulmination

which demands

a fully different attire

leather jacket maybe

high boots and a cap

to tuck in my hair, to avoid

a disorderly countenance

one should, after all,

pay attention to posture

on such rare occasions

and while wondering

choosing,

tossing my clothes away

– as I wouldn't need them any longer –

it occurred to me all of a sudden

that it may be something

so singular, so unimaginable

so never thought of before

that nothing on earth

would ever align with

and the only way to face the end

would be

naked

stripped

of layers

and

dreams

CAT IN THE FOG

like a shadow the cat

comes out of the foggy night

climbs up on roofs

crawls between chimneys

stops

goes on

peeps through

narrow roof windows

at murdered unfaithful wives

or else

at sleepless old men

looking at pictures

fading in family albums

it resumes its stroll

jumps down onto the pavement

sniffs

at the street girl’s

red stiletto boots

meows for petting

then slowly disappears

into the clotting fog

APRILIA ZANK