the magnolias are still not
yet at their zenith however
something's pressing my left
eyelid and sending shockwaves
to my brain as though the lilac
had already passed me by

hold the bell jar up it's not
yet time to lower it again, for god's
sake please, not around me all I
want is to keep breathing so
that I can get enough air, artificially
dilate my pupils with eyedrops

so that just this once I do not
miss their blooming, the white
flashes of the chestnut trees
of which I'll dream in this
capsule now and for ever more
with all my veins and arteries

translated by Catherine Hales