Samios & Marszalek – May 2021

Norbert Marszalek and Alexandra Samios traded art and words. Norbert shared this image, titled “Clear Glass Teacup,” with Alexandra:

In response, Alexandra wrote this poem:

Untitled

In Berlin in 1992
I found a clear glass tea set
From before the wars
Its arts nouveaux contours delicate, stylish,
Obviously expensive when new
And selling now
In the post-Wall flea market
For five dollars.
The East Berliners
Giddy with western cash,
Still barely emerged from their long dark
Not quite understanding, despite the propaganda,
how rich the West was,
Were clearing two generations
Of hoarded memories
For prices so low, so ridiculously low
That the Western tourists
Were side-eye-ing each other in disbelief
And then talking the desperate sellers down

In the end, I didn’t buy the tea set
Because I knew I could not get it back to America
Without breaking it

* * * * *

Alexandra shared this poem with Norbert:

Like Today

On a day
Much like today
Just four years ago
The light grey, the air chill
The wind autumnal
On a day much like today
I left my home
And moved
Just four years ago today
From there to here
And sat alone in the empty rooms
Much like today
Watching the fading light seep
Through unfamiliar windows

In response, Norbert made this image, titled “Watching the fading light seep through unfamiliar windows”: