Let's be discreet
Tell me
That your eyes do not search for me
In a crowd
And I shall say to you
That my heart does not miss a beat
When I see you
And that nature's fertile flow
Does not bathe
The most delicate
And intimate essence of my femininity
Tell me
That I have not felt
The pressure of your body against mine
And that I was not shocked
Or excited
By the power of your masculinity
Tell me that you cannot cure the ache
Which lingers between my thighs
And my body will deny that I desire you
Commentary
I found this poem in a collection of African – American erotic writings (“Dark Eros”, St. Martin’s Press, Inc., December 1998, edited by Reginald Martin).
Simple, yet it provokes complex feelings – it is at the same time melancholic and spiritually sensual.
Unfortunately, I could not find any information about Amanda Townsend. I also do not know whether the original is English or French1, or both?
Many Regards,
— Jasmina
The French translation:
‘Soyons Discrets’
Dis-moi
Que tes yeux ne me cherchent pas
Dans une foule
Et je te dirai
Que mon coeur ne s'arrete pas de battre
Quand je te vois
Et que l'ecoulement fertil de la nature
Ne baigne pas
L'essence la plus intime
Et la plus delicate
De ma feminité
Dis-moi que
Je n'ai pas senti
La pression de ton corps contre le mien
Et que je n'etais pas choquée
Ni excitée
Par la force de ta masculinité
Dis-moi que tu ne peux pas querir
La douleur intime qui me ronge
Et mon corps niera
Que je te desire
-
The English version was printed on one page, followed by the French version on the next page (you had to turn the page and it was on the back of the initial page). The French version had “French Translation” in between the title and Amanda Townsend’s name, which makes me think that she translated it herself. ↩