CONTENTS:

Translations of Again by MTTLC Students

RUTH FAINLIGHT

Again

Suppose the prince who once had been a toad
changed back after a certain span of years.
Perhaps it always was intended.
Happily ever after only meant
a few decades, and this return to earlier
days inexorably programmed into
the experiment. The kindly fairy's
blessing lost its potency as princess
and her golden hero aged together,
Suppose one morning when he woke he felt
the clammy stricture web his toes and fingers,
his mouth begin to stretch into that
recollected lipless grin; and when
she turned to face him from her pillow, saw
in her contracting pupils the reflection
of cold warts and freckles surfacing
like blisters on his muddy skin.
He dared not speak, but waited, numb with dread.

Suppose that night she'd dreamed about the hour
her ball had rolled and splashed into the pool
and that foul toad had hopped towards her, croaked
his arrogant demand, and forced her will.
Yet afterwards, everything was perfect.
As though the time between had vanished, now
she smiled and clung to him, gazed deep into
unaltered eyes. Who could guess the coming
transformation? Let it all begin again.