Except I am too shy to speak that quietly
dream prose (3)
Author: Nguyễn Man Nhiên
Published on: 1/4/2016 10:40:34 PM

that night I swallowed whole a town
somersaulting through penalties
a hot bowl of phở falls with a thud
in the sinking summer light
other people
scream as ball touches hand
outside a highway petrol station

as the game clock stops
i see a cat
edging along the windowsill
like it just stole some milk
from the nipple of the lady with curly hair
deeply engrossed in the tv
of a turbulent bar

remnants of battle
we shriek at each other from down the street
drinking keg beer and shitchatting drunk
i know the hanging wall clocks
will stop in unison at midnight
after humanity is redeemed
by a cup


translated by Kaitlin Rees

AJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJARAJAR