Rudy Francisco: Skin II

When you are the only black man
in the whole neighborhood,

your skin is that one friend who

meets everyone before you do.

It wears a wife beater

and house shoes,

it knocks over the 

neighbor's mailbox,

it cusses in front of the kids

and plays the music too loud,

but you actually don't do

any of those things.

It's 7 pm.

It's Wednesday

and you are just

walking home.

Tóth Krisztina: A mégegyszer-út

Tandori Dezsőnek

Ez a fekete égbolt rád vár.
Vonuló füst vagy, seregélyfelhő.
Üres egészen ez a táj már:
mit akarhattál. Mit akarsz még?

Nyugi, nem múlt el, csak az élet.
Csak ez a földút, ez fogyott el.
Kerítéslécek, kerítéslécek,
türelem közt a gaz kihajtott.

Hulló dió a szemhatáron,
sötét burokban gördülő nap.
Átkiabál a gyulladt torkú
álom a tarlón. Ugye, hallod?

Brian Bilston: Musical Statues (variation)

when the music stops,
find a statue

of a slave trader or tyrant

and topple it

cheer and dance

then move on to the next

the game ends

when all such statues

lie rusting and broken

at the bottom 

of the ocean

(2nd December: International Day fo the Abolition of Slavery)

Brian Bilston: This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the chocolates

that were in

your calendar

and which

you were probably

saving

for each day of advent

Forgive me

they were delicious

so bittersweet

and so Christmassy