By Lina Buividavičiūtė (translated from Lithuanian by Ada Valaitis)
Girls in boarding schools, teenage girls, watched by nuns in black habits, an old film, banal dichotomy: the girls’ white blouses – the girls’ dark hearts, the girls’ light heads – the girls’ dark crotches. During the day, the girls learn: memento mori homo homini lupus est, they cross-stich and make pudding, during the day, the girls dance rounds – so very dainty, with aprons, they play piano, dance the waltz with one another. At night, the devil rolls up the girls’ white blouses, at night storms play along the girls’ nipples, at night, all of the cracks in the walls and souls are wet from the girls’ dreams, they dream of six werewolves that pant deeply, pressing against their parted lips, a cross falls from the door where it hung – the wind was so strong; they don’t get what that
werewolf is doing, they almost don’t get it, but he does it well, his tongue is pointed and quick turning six circles around the girls’ bodies. Girls, why were you screaming, why were you wailing last night – we had nightmares, we dreamt a black beast. Through my fault, through my fault through my most grievous fault, but allow me to dream about that beast tomorrow night. Every night.
Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Her poetry is published in "Matter", "Masters", “Proverse poetry prize" contest anthologies, "Beyond words", "Beyond queer words", "The Maudlin house", "The limit experience", "Cathexis northwest press" magazines. Upcoming publications will appear in "Drunk monkeys", “New millennium writings”, “Beyond words”, "Beyond words anthology" and "Poetry online" magazines.
Ada Valaitis is a translator whose work has appeared in in numerous collections and journals, including the Vilnius Review, Washington Square Review, The Dedalus Book of Lithuanian Literature, and How the Earth Carries Us – New Lithuanian Poets. She served as a contributor to Transitions of Lithuanian Postmodernism: Lithuanian Literature in the Post-Soviet Period and Lithuania on a First Date, and as a translator for the award-winning documentary film The Invisible Front. Ada holds a Master’s degree in Literature from George Mason University.