Andrei Dorian Gheorghe - Identified Flying Parents

IDENTIFIED FLYING PARENTS
(from Spaceman Sazartinus’ Diary)

to Steliana (Stella) and Costica Gheorghe,
the greatest supporters of my cosmopoetic-astrohumanist activity
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Photographs and design:
Gabriel Ivanescu

1. MOTHER AND DRESS

(This is the third variant of a poem composed in 1984
and first published in 1993 (in the Romanian)
and in 1995 (in the English);
the second variant was published in
the “Poems for Mum” anthology, Anchor Books, U.K., 2005)

I just found that my mother
(who has given me her best)
is a genius -
she made a dress in a masterpiece form.

“This is my life work,” she said
“the idea came to me
when I was a schoolgirl.
I was walking on the sea
and my boat bumped an octopus.
I had to climb the waves alone
to salute the UFOs, meteors and angels.”

There are only a few steps
to the universal recognition,
but my mother does not realize
the situation.

I am grateful for all, Mother!
I hope that the UFOs, meteors and angels
need you on Earth for a long time.

And I’m proud I was
your first reporter!

2. DAEDALUS II

(A cosmopoem composed in May 1984
and first published in the Romanian
in “Space Morgana - Spaceman Sazartinus’ Youth Notes”,
Polidor Publishing House, Bucharest, 1993)

My father was a passionate builder
creating a flying city.
He was utilizing programmed chisels,
sophisticated hammers, irresistible lasers,
super-spaceships, electronic shovels, gigantic machines,
and strange, diamantine stones.
He was a proud follower of great Daedalus,
working in the space field.

The city he was building
had to be a masterpiece
for which he had consumed
many years of his life
by making a lot of plans for
statues of light,
streets with springs, lucky doors,
crystal houses, parks with floors…

As a good child,
I disturbed him
all the time
with my
tricks and jokes,
unexpected shouts,
playful shocks…

In such moments,
my father
gave me new fine toys
and hid me in the fourth dimension.
Then he imperturbably
came back to his mysterious work,
to his fabulous city.

Remaining alone,
I usually played a little
until I felt I needed him,
and clambering on stars
or just sliding on my dreams
I surprisingly returned to him
as an endless reservoir of
thrilling beams.

I found him again
very tired,
tortured by his creation,
and I kissed his cheeks,
or I simpered
and laughed at him.

“My frolicsome boy!” sighed my father, and helped me
jump to the Cosmos from his knee.

ROMANIAN VERSIONS

1. MAMA SI ROCHIA

Tocmai am aflat ca mama
(care mi-a daruit tot ce-a avut mai bun)
este geniala -
a creat o rochie in forma de capodopera.

“Aceasta-i munca mea de-o viata!” - mi-a spus.
“Ideea mi-a venit
inca de cand eram scolarita.
Ma plimbam pe mare
si barca mi s-a ciocnit de o caracatita.
A trebuit apoi sa ma catar singura pe valuri
pentru a saluta OZN-urile, meteorii si ingerii.”

Mai sunt doar cateva trepte
pana la recunoasterea universala,
dar mama inca nu realizeaza
situatia.

Iti multumesc pentru tot, Mama!
Sper ca OZN-urile, meteorii si ingerii
au nevoie de tine pe Pamant pentru mult timp.

Si sunt mandru ca ti-am fost
intaiul reporter!

2. TATA, AL DOILEA DEDAL

Tata era de meserie constructor
si inalta un oras zburator.
Folosea dalti programate, sofisticate ciocane,
laseri percutanti si superavioane,
lopeti electronice, escavatoare gigant,
ciudate pietre de diamant.
Era un demn urmas al marelui Dedal
si activa-n domeniul spatial.

Orasul pe care il construia
era capodopera sa,
daduse ani insemnati din soarta
pentru aceasta lucrare de arta,
facuse planuri multe si complicate,
voia ca orasul sa aiba de toate:
statui de lumina, strazi cu arcuri,
case de cristal si etajate parcuri…

Eu eram copilul sau cel mic
si il deranjam mereu cate un pic
prin glumele ce i le faceam
(caci tare nastrusnic eram!):
ii tipam in urechi cand se astepta mai putin,
ii turnam piperul in vin,
il trageam de mustati in fiece seara,
ii tulburam linistea necesara…

Atunci tata se cam enerva
(caci nu se mai putea concentra)
si ma ascundea in a patra dimensiune
dandu-mi jucarii frumoase si bune,
apoi revenea la oras mai departe,
la lucrul sau tainic si fara de moarte.

Singur ramas, ma jucam nitel
pana mi se facea dor de el
si ma reintorceam, catarandu-ma pe stele
sau doar lunecand pe visele mele.
Ii apaream tatei prin surprindere-n cale,
sarind din mormanul sculelor sale
sau din ferestrele transparentelor case
si-i provocam emotii umbroase.

Il regaseam murdar si obosit,
de nelinistea creatiei muncit,
si-i incolaceam bratele de grumaz,
il pupam zgomotos pe obraz,
apoi ma fandoseam in fel si fel,
faceam tumbe si ma strambam la el.

-Mascariciule! - ma dojenea oftand tata
si iar ma arunca in Cosmos cu lopata.