Thursday, July 2, 2009

Poetry Friday

Making Jam in July


by Inna Kabysh


A woman who's making jam in July

is resighned to living with her husband.

She won't escape with her lover, secretly.

Otherwise, why boil up fruit with sugar?

And observe, how willingly she does it,

as a labour of lov,

even though space is at a premium

and there's nowhere to store the jars.


A woman who's making jam in July

is preparing to be around for a while.

She intends to soldier on, to hibernate

through the discomforts of winter.

Otherwise, for what reason, and notice,

not out of any feeling of duty,

should she be spending the short summer

skimming residue off jam?


A woman who's making jam in July

in all the chaos of a steamy kitchen,

isn't going to be absconding to the West

or buying a ticket to the States.

That woman will be scrambling out of snowdrifts,

buoyed up by the savour of the fruit.

Whoever's making jam in Russia

knows there isn't any way out.


Translated by Fay Marshall and Jay Marshall

4 comments:

Claire said...

Oh I LOVE it - what a fab poem Jo :) It made me smile. Too true.

Claire

Anonymous said...

I'm making apple & redcurrant jelly this week, so I'll let you have a jar as payment for the wonderful poem! We missed her birthday but tell her we will make it up to her. Jet lag wearing off now so will see you soon DX

Anonymous said...

Hey, you've won! A little booklet of quotes is destined for you. Let me know your address and I'll get it in the mail!

Hooray for good mail!

Cyfaill said...

Yay! Yay! Yay!