I read yesterday about the death of Nina Cassian, an exiled Romanian poet, at age 89 in her New York home. Be sure to read the excellent obituary by Margalit Fox (found here), which gave me the idea for today’s selection (taken from the Poetry Society of America’s website):
Please Give This Seat to an Elderly or Disabled Person
I stood during the entire journey:nobody offered me a seat
although I was at least a hundred years older than anyone else on
board,
although the signs of at least three major afflictions
were visible on me:
Pride, Loneliness, and Art.
Translated by Naomi Lazard