from White Monkey [35.]

Translated by Christian Gullette

I read poems,

describe a family being crushed by its own baggage.

A publisher says I fill a niche.

“We want to make sure nobody mistakes you

for Athena Farrokhzad.”

She says that many of the poems are good,

but certain ones are

typical immigrant poems.

“You can cut those.

There are, after all, two poets in Sweden

and one in Denmark

writing about those things.”

I ask what people are writing about today,

what is considered new?

“People write about all kinds of things!

The archipelago,

the Winter War,

and alcoholism.”