Tag: Translation

A hyper-realistic photograph-like image: A bare forearm rises diagonally from the lower left toward a clenched fist near the upper center-right. The fist is crushing an enormous handful of intensely saturated electric-blue Slurpee. The blue ice bulges extravagantly between essentially every finger, with chunks breaking away and suspended droplets falling beneath the hand. The fingernails are painted glossy black with multicolored glitter, but the polish is chipped and irregular, exposing portions of the nails. Blue syrup and ice flecks stain the fingers. Melted blue liquid pours down the wrist and forearm in thick, irregular streams. The skin is very wet and shiny, with strong sunlight picking out pores, creases, hairs, and reflections. Behind the arm is a warm cream/off-white concrete wall, softly out of focus. It has stains, small dark marks, seams and weathering, but nothing that competes with the hand. A narrow gray-brown strip of ground appears along the bottom. The blue is astonishing. Created with ChatGPT for “slurpees.”

“Slurpees” * Poetry * Riley Fable

aromatica poetica August 12, 2026

slurpees coca cola slurpee brown, the green on an apple flavored candy, like the soda but with small pieces of ice, the slush stays in your mouth for a bit longer; cold against your lips, tangy taste coating your whole tongue; premier blue like the ocean on its brightest days, the harsh lights of an excitingly luminescent crystal, frozen liquid that you really shouldn’t drink again. I see the same emptiness by the hotel exit, I don’t know whether I’ll …

The photo shows a stunning landscape of a volcanic mountain range in Indonesia. In the foreground, there is a volcano emitting a plume of white smoke, which contrasts with the surrounding green and brown terrain. The volcano is surrounded by a sea of clouds or mist that blankets the lower areas, creating a mystical atmosphere. In the background, there are more mountains, with one prominent peak rising above the others. The sky is clear and blue, with a few scattered clouds, suggesting a bright and clear day. The overall scene is serene and majestic, capturing the natural beauty of the volcanic landscape.

“Sometimes” (“Kadang-Kadang”) * A Poem of Indonesia * John RC Potter

aromatica poetica January 30, 2025

Sometimes Sometimes, I miss you. I can’t forget you. You’re not far away, because I can never forget Indonesia. I remember one day we went to a mountain. This mountain is too high, you said to me. You can’t climb; foreigners can’t do it, turn around, go back! But we walked there, to the top of the mountain. Me and you, together. At the top, you took my hand; we looked at West Java below us: the ocean sparkling in …

A whimsical fairytale scene of a small, green dragon perched on a tree branch. The dragon has a vibrant green body with scales that shimmer, and its underbelly is a bright golden yellow. It has two wings that are also green with golden highlights. The dragon's head is adorned with small, horn-like protrusions, and it has a friendly, curious expression. The tree it is resting on has a thick, textured trunk and branches with lush green needles. The background is a soft, mystical green, and there are small glowing orbs scattered throughout, resembling fireflies or magical lights, adding to the magical atmosphere of the scene.

“Koan” * A Fairytale Poem in English and German * Kerstin & Werner Schulz * Plus Audio

aromatica poetica January 22, 2025

Author’s note: My father, Werner Schulz, passed away last January after a long battle with cancer. He was a retired German professor who taught German language and literature as well as the occasional course on Folklore. He left me his collected creative works which are unpublished except his dissertation on Johannes Bobrowski, an East German early 20th century poet. Over the past year I’ve chosen to translate some of his “fairytale” pieces from German into English. Koan translated by …

An illustration of a bright and colorful flower shop with various potted plants and all kinds of flowers out front under the bluish green awning. Through the open door you can see a sink and more pots and vases. To the left and right a grey fence with toxic barrels on one side and a beat up garbage can on the other. The sky is also grey and a black factory spewing smoke stands ominously in the distance. By Alabaster Rhumb for “The Master of Scents.”

“The Master of Scents” * Fiction * By Vincent Ravalec * Translated by Wendeline A. Hardenberg

aromatica poetica January 27, 2022

He liked to think that wherever he happened to go, he got into people’s heads. He wormed his way inside them, influenced them, guided the moments he joined—that’s how he understood his purpose, his role here and there: as a joint venture—as surely as a ray of sunlight illuminates a day or the rain dampens your hair. Few knew him directly or had access to him, and yet many had encountered him. He was the Master of Scents. He ruled …

A stone sea wall stage set with ghostly images of fuse box panels projected onto each of the three walls. In a lower corner some sand collects on the concrete floor and above the walls are blue skies and a distant seagull. By Alabaster Rhumb for Andy Slater soundscapes.

Waves & Dust & Sparks * Soundscapes + Poetic Text Descriptions * Andy Slater

aromatica poetica October 21, 2020

Memory Waves (Anchor Beach, Woodmont, Connecticut) Before storms the water rises and the trees bend. The dry sand spreads as if fingers forged branches. From the spot I watch and listen from the air is rich. Sea salt spray fro, the east and honeysuckle from the west. The helicopters spin from the trees as the wind picks up and launches domestic smells in arbitrary directions. The synthetic lemon fresh from a laundry room exhaust ,multiple households’ supper, and a rusty …