Propuesta
Sucedió por una manzana.
Estábamos en un mercado,
luz solar y lloviznas de agosto parpadeaban a través del techo
acristalado
sobre un barril de manzanas, verdes con un rubor rojizo,
el rocío aún parecía relucir sobre ellas. Tomaste una.
Pruébela y vea señorita, dijo el vendedor. Asentiste, y mordiste
la pulpa crujiente. Sentiste el jugo explotar en tu boca
al igual que yo cuando me la pasaste para la segunda mordida.
Se llaman Descubrimiento, dijo el
vendedor, una muy buena
manzana para comer. Compramos una libra de ellas, algo de vino y queso,
y acudimos al campo, donde hicimos un picnic junto a un arroyo.
Me ofreciste una Descubrimiento. Esta vez pude sentir
tu boca a través del jugo.
Mordida a mordida
hasta que la terminamos como uno. Tiramos el centro.
Luego nos preguntamos cosas que nunca nos habíamos preguntado antes.
Proposal
It happened over an apple. We were in a market,
sunshine and August showers flickering through the glazed roof
sunshine and August showers flickering through the glazed roof
over a barrel of apples, green with a blush of red,
the dew still seeming to glisten on them. You picked one up.
the dew still seeming to glisten on them. You picked one up.
Try it and see, Miss, said the vendor. You nodded,
and bit
into the crisp flesh. You felt its juice explode in your mouth
into the crisp flesh. You felt its juice explode in your mouth
as I did when you passed it to me for the second
bite.
They’re called Discovery, said the vendor, a very good
They’re called Discovery, said the vendor, a very good
eating apple. We bought a pound of them, some wine
and cheese,
and repaired to the country where we picnicked by a stream.
and repaired to the country where we picnicked by a stream.
You offered me a Discovery. This time I could taste
your mouth from it through the juice. We took bite for bite from it
your mouth from it through the juice. We took bite for bite from it
until we finished it as one. We threw away the
core.
Then we asked things of each other we’d never asked before.
Then we asked things of each other we’d never asked before.