Stories

Strolls; encounters; kisses through closed gates; lighted windows seen from below; rumpled bedsheets turning up men’s shirts . . . These are just a few of the images in August Stramm’s poetry collection titled “DU” (“THOU”).

What follows is a complete, fresh-look translation of the thirty-one poems of this set.

Two boys awake to find themselves sans memories, must rediscover their past, and decide if they will forge a new future together.

The Coliseum, a place where the bloodlust of the masses is sated by the death of those whose fates are decided by others. What happens when freedom and slavery clash? Who walks away?

The streets are empty; children sleep snuggly and safely in their beds. Parents are watching the latest episode of Chicago Fire, but Gavin is skateboarding alone, heading for Wickham Bridge. The local meet up spot, where junkies hang out hoping to shoot up, and individuals with darker motives prowl, waiting in the shadows. Gavin knows who is waiting. He must make a decision. Will it be good or bad?

Adam is a 14 year old boy living in a commune in the wilds of Oregon. The story deals with events during the summer as he becomes sexually aware and involved with Gabriel, who is a couple of months older.

To deal with the death of his cousin, Justin began shooting heroin. Pushing away everyone that mattered, he drifted through life believing love was a lie. But when he awoke in a nameless void, a place where his demons have become reality, he'll have to find a way to believe again.

If tonight was your last night on earth, where would you go? What would you do? Most important of all, who would you be with?

The Gulf of Stintino, in Sardinia (Italy), a shower after the sun and the sea water, the light goes out.

And then it is a matter of tact, isn't it?