Она рыдала в туалете
Гостиницы «Континенталь» —
Её ебали те и эти,
И вдруг себя ей стало жаль.
И вдруг однажды на рассвете
Она решила полюбить,
Но, как листали те и эти,
Никак уже ей не забыть.

Yaroslav Kulikovsky. Paris, 2021 (c).
Part of the cycle: Poems on City Flesh and Power

👉 tiktok.com/@kulikovskyonthepunchline
👉 youtube.com/@KulikovskyOnThePunchline/shorts

It isn’t Paris but it is.

As the light washes
over late afternoon
walls full of us and
other people’s lives.

As the music charms
our old bones we can
add context to our list
of rolodex happenings.

As the shadows hint at
mystery beneath every
shining moment we can
justifiably glint and smile.

It isn’t Paris…but it is.



Tony Noon

In my mind,
I am in the deep south,
Dancing with Cowboys,
Singing folk songs.
Herding cattle,
Chasing outlaws.

In my mind,
I am in Paris, France,
Waking up with you beside me,
Strolling in the lazy streets.
Chatting with the News-Man,
Drinking coffee at the Cafe.

In my mind,
I'm where I want to be,
I'm with all my buddies.
Time never seems to pass,
How can I get all of that?

I had a dream,
20 years had passed,
You and I had grown older.
Fate had taken a cruel twist on me,
I had to sail away,
Move to the city of Paris.
I wrote you letters,
You wrote them back,
But the ink was laced with tears.
I found a job selling newspapers,
My dream of writing crushed.
You went to work in hairdressing,
For not nearly enough pay.
I saved up each paycheck,
Worked to the bone each day.
I purchased you a plane ticket,
Flew you out to France.
We were happy once again,
Love knows no bounds.

Here comes the camera girl,
Clumsy American beauty!
With a French hat placed upon her head lazily,
And her camera hanging from her neck.
Looking around the streets,
Photographing Paris, a way to live through scenes.

But she'll never be happy,
Just watching the people,
Who dance by the Eiffel Tower.
No, she must dance!
But alas, she has no man with which to dance,
How sad.

Bonjour Gray Man,
What is on the menu for breakfast today?
A black coffee and a plate of blueberry jam,
On plain white bread.
A blueberry, for the blue in you,
Coffee and bread, because you find it tasty.
Gray Man of Paris,
What's here that you fancy?
What led you to leave to shaded land,
Of pencil-paper men?
Was it a secret love of bright colors,
That you look so dreary against?
Well salut Gray Man,
Enjoy breakfast in the colored land.

sous le ciel de paris, un mur disait
"Je t’aime comme un soir d’été"
mais c'était en décembre
et il pleuvait toute la journée

malgré le temps, un feu brûlait
au retour de « la butte aux cailles »
dans mon vieux cœur d'âme
comme celuie de Notre-Dame

sur le chemin du Sacré-Cœur, vers chez lui
mon feu s’est enflammé avec ses lèvres, tout éblouie
pendant que Chet Baker chantait, douce mélodie
j'ai peur, je tombe sûrement amoureuse trop vite

et si demain, tout disparaît?
un souvenir que je ne veux jamais perdre
"Je t’aime comme un soir d’été," disait le mur
mais moi, je t'aimerai comme une soirée d'éternité

From the ashes of the dead, new life is born
And hope will rise like the sun on Easter morn
The same fire that ravages, gives warmth and light
The same fire that destroys, on a candle, is a welcome sight
We will rise again on the wings of the dawn
We will dance with the joy of a newborn fawn
It is a chance to rebuild, restart, and renew
To see what beauty lies hidden from view
From out of the ashes, we will rise again
We say: "Let it be done" Amen
From the crucible of fire, we will survive
Having been purified, we will now thrive
The loss is real, but it mustn't feel
Like the end. It is a brand-new start
And the memory will remain here in our hearts
I truly believe that out of the ashes we will find
Evidence of something profoundly divine
That in its wake there will come a grand revival
An awakening of faith that will have no rival
There will be a day of great jubilation
Where people will come from every nation
To join hands and hearts as sister and brother
Where peace resides and we love one another
From these ashes, I pray we will remember
That life is fleeting, and life is a treasure
But we will rise above the ashes and dust
To find something in which we can trust