new from above/ground press: Misremembered Proverbs, by Adriana Oniță

Misremembered Proverbs
Adriana Oniță
$5

ȚARA ARDE ȘI BABA SE PIAPTĂNĂ

The country is on fire and the old woman is brushing her hair.

Because she can’t smell the smoke. Because she’s combing out the flames. Because her country is a rough draft. Because she set fire to the country. Because she’s seen it all. Because she knows rain is coming. Because she won the war. Because she lost her children in the war. Because she wanted to become proverb. Because she is the library about to burn. Because her body is bait.

Țara arde and she can’t smell the smoke.
Țara arde and she’s combing out the flames.
Țara arde and her country is a rough draft.
Țara arde and she set fire to the country.

Țara arde and she’s seen it all.
Țara arde and she knows rain is coming.
Țara arde and she won the war.
Țara arde and she lost her children in the war.

Țara arde and she wanted to become proverb.
Țara arde and she is the library about to burn.
Țara arde and her body is bait.
Țara arde și baba se piaptănă.

published in Ottawa by above/ground press
November 2023
as part of above/ground press’ thirtieth anniversary
a/g subscribers receive a complimentary copy

Adriana Oniță is a poet, artist, educator, and researcher with a PhD in language education. She writes and teaches in English, Romanian, Spanish, French, and Italian. As founding editor of The Polyglot, Adriana is proud to have published more than 200 writers and artists working in over 55 languages. Her recent multilingual poems appear in CBC Books, The Globe and Mail, and Tint Journal. She is also the author of two chapbooks: Misremembered Proverbs (2023) and Conjugated Light (Glass Buffalo, 2019). Adriana works as editorial director for the Griffin Poetry Prize and lives between Edmonton and Sicily. Discover her work at adrianaonita.com, and connect with her on social media: IG: adi.onita, Twitter: adi_onita.

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