Prose
Portraits. A Portrait of the Crowd Holding a Loner in Her Lap
Alexander Androv
Translated from the Bulgarian · Портрети. Портрет на Тълпата, държаща в скута си самотник
A yellow collar turned up around the neck —
do you remember anything else of Her face?
But when a loner sits on her knees,
she can pass herself off as a quiet yellow river,
as a mother. As a lover.
She can deceive even herself.
She can lie to anyone,
let alone… him.
The warmth of her yellow embrace
will soak into his eyes.
The touch of her blouse
will convince him that She can feel him.
Her lips will part for a kiss
and her tongue will invisibly lick them.
Do you think She feeds
on naive loners?