The house

By Marin Sorescu 1936–1996 Marin Sorescu

Translated By Ted Hughes and Ioana Russell-Gebbett

I want to build myself a house

As far away as possible

From all the things

I know.

As far away as possible from the mountains

Out of which squirrels leap in the morning

Like apostles in a clock

Naive beyond belief.

And I don’t want it on the shore

Of that white tiredness

Where I could see through every window

An enamelled scale.

And I know all the tricks

Of the plain.

What else can you expect from her

If at night she frees the grass and wheat

To grow through your ribs and temples?

In any place at all

I’d get so fearfully bored

I couldn’t even

Hang

On my wall

Pictures

The doorway would look too familiar

I’d be feeling I had to move on.

If only I could build myself a house

As far away as possible from

Myself.

“The house” from The Biggest Egg in the World by Marin Sorescu. Published by Bloodaxe Books in 1987. Used by permission of Bloodaxe Books.

Source: The Biggest Egg in the World (Bloodaxe Books, 1987)

ABOUT THIS POEM

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Poet Marin Sorescu 1936–1996

POET’S REGION Eastern Europe

Subjects Relationships, Home Life, Social Commentaries, Life Choices

Poetic Terms Free Verse

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Biography

In 1964 the Romanian government relaxed its censorship policies, signaling a new openness to free expression. The nation's poets heeded that signal, and Romanian poetry experienced a striking revival. Poet and playwright Marin Sorescu is perhaps one of the most popular figures to emerge from Romanian literary culture in the years since.

Sorescu writes in a plainspoken, down-to-earth style spiced with sly humor. He responds to . . .

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