“I am the night”

I am the night
This night of space frozen by the cold idiocy of the moon.
I am money
Money that makes money without knowing why.
I am man
Man who pulls the trigger and shoots emotion
To live better.

Translated from the French

Notes: Read the French-language original, “Je suis la nuit.”

This poem is part of “When Can I See You Again: The Poetry of Joyce Mansour,” translated by Emilie Moorhouse. You can read the rest of the portfolio in the June 2023 issue. All the English translations of Joyce Mansour’s poems are from Emerald Wounds: Selected Poems, edited by Emilie Moorhouse and Garrett Caples. Translations copyright © 2023 by Emilie Moorhouse. Reprinted with the permission of City Lights Books. For more information, visit www.citylights.com.

Source: Poetry (June 2023)