I have a horse

Greetings, all pw.org visitors! You’re making my stats boom around here. As long as you’re around, let me invite you to have a look, especially at the Own Words category, you might find a few hints about how NOT to write as well. 😀

By Tomaž Šalamun

I have a horse. My horse has four legs.
I have a record player. On my record player I sleep.
I have a brother. My brother is a sculptor.
I have a coat. I have a coat to keep me warm.
I have a plant. I have a plant to have green in my room.
I have Marushka. I have Marushka because I love her.
I have matches. With matches I light cigarettes.
I have a body. With a body I do the most beautiful things
that I do.
I have destruction. Destruction causes me many troubles.
I have night. Night comes to me through the window of my
room.
I have fun racing cars. I race cars because car racing is fun.
I have money. With money I buy bread.
I have six really good poems. I hope I will write more of them.
I am twenty-seven years old. All these years have passed like
lightning.
I am relatively courageous. With this courage
I fight human stupidity.
I have a birthday March seventh. I hope March seventh
will be a nice day.
I have a friend whose daughter’s name is Breditza.
In the evening when they put her to bed she says Šalamun
and falls asleep.

Translated by the author and Anselm Hollo

____________________________________

Not mine, a neighbour, he has not only 4 legs but also the third eye. Photo: MM

____________________________________

Original in Slovenian:

Tomaž Šalamun: Imam konja

imam konja. konj ima štiri noge.

imam gramofon. na gramofonu spim.

imam brata. moj brat je kipar.

imam plašč. plašč imam da mi ni mraz.

imam rastilno, rastilno imam zato da je v sobi zelenje.

imam maruško. maruško imam ker jo ljubim.

imam vžigalice. z vžigalicami si prižigam cigatere.

imam telo. s telesom delam najlepše stvari kar jih počnem.

imam destrukcijo. destrukcija mi povzroča kup težav.

imam noč. noč mi pride skozi okno v sobo.

imam veselje do avtomobilskih dirk. iz veselja

do avtomobilskih dirk dirkam

z avtomobili.

imam denar. z denarjem si kupujem kruh.

imam šest res dobrih pesmi. upam da jih bom napisal še več.

imam sedemindvajset let. vsa ta leta so šla kot blisk.

imam relativno precej poguma. s tem pogumom se borim proti človeški neumnosti.

imam god sedmega marca. veselilo me bo če bo sedmega marca lep dan.

imam majhno prijateljico bredico. zvečer ko jo dajo v posteljo reče šalamun in zaspi.