<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet by Otilia Jones: Recitatio]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reading poetry doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit. This is a space where I wish to rekindle the enchanting art of making each other dream, think, hope, dare, and love. I am hoping that it will slowly become a new realm of thought and emotion.]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/s/recitatio</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzcU!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b720032-c136-4ef7-9a11-b2eba6977431_1280x1280.png</url><title>The Monday to Friday Poet by Otilia Jones: Recitatio</title><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/s/recitatio</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 22:27:43 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://otiliajones.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Otilia Jones]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[otiliajones@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[otiliajones@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[otiliajones@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[otiliajones@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Still Me ]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#8220;I came back victorious from / The adventure of being honest,&#8221;]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/still-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/still-me</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 15:03:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/197520698/322830ea773d56b16f320136a85609b2.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="native-audio-embed" data-component-name="AudioPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;label&quot;:null,&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;95545dd0-7019-45dc-8fe3-2092527d866b&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:75.07592,&quot;downloadable&quot;:false,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p>Ana Blandiana is a Romanian lyric poet, essayist, and translator, considered one of her generation&#8217;s most significant literary voices. </p><p>Ana Blandiana, the pseudonym for Otilia Valeria Coman Rusan, was born on March 25, 1942, in Timi&#351;oara, Romania. While still a teenager, she developed her pen name from the name of her mother&#8217;s native village in Transylvania. Her father was an Orthodox priest who had been jailed as a dissident. Blandiana published her first poems in the Cluj-based magazine Tribuna while she was attending high school in Oradea. In 1967, Blandiana earned a degree in philology from the University of Cluj-Napoca.</p><p>She is one of Romania&#8217;s best known poets, prose writers, and translators, having published fourteen to seventeen books of poetry, two volumes of short stories, nine books of essays, and a novel. Her work has been translated into twenty-four languages.</p><p>The poem read today was chosen by my mother and she read it in Romanian. Her interpretation is volcanic, and I absolutely love that! We had a wonderful time reading together and discussing this poem that speaks so much to use women. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic" width="1107" height="1432" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5LIc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde484ac-8ecc-41bf-b295-a73ff4f1bba5_1107x1432.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo taken from anablandiana.ro </figcaption></figure></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text"><em>"Tot Eu&#8221;  &#8212; De Ana Blandiana</em>

Fa&#539;a mea mea, nu mai e fa&#539;a mea, 
Gura, mai ales, pare a altcuiva, 
Cineva necunoscut &#537;i de vin&#259; 
Pentru privirea str&#259;in&#259;

Pe care ochii mei mi-o arunc&#259;
Aproape ca pe-o porunc&#259;. 
Ca &#537;i cum s-ar &#238;ntreba cine sunt 
Ascuns&#259; sub parul c&#259;runt. 

In timp ce eu, tot eu, alt eu, 
Neiertator &#537;i mereu, 
M&#259; mir ca de un basm resemnat &#238;n e&#537;ec 
&#536;i nu &#238;ndr&#259;znesc s&#259; &#238;n&#539;eleg. 


<em>&#8220;Still Me&#8221; &#8212; By Ana Blandiana</em>

My face &#8212; my own face &#8212; is no longer my face,
The mouth especially seems another person&#8217;s,
Someone unknown, and somehow to blame
For the alien gaze

My own eyes cast upon me,
Almost as though it were a command.
As if they were asking who I am,
Hidden beneath greying hair.

While I &#8212; still I, another I &#8212;
Unforgiving, incessant,
Gaze in wonder as at a fairy tale resigned to failure
And do not dare to understand.</pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic" width="866" height="1086" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1086,&quot;width&quot;:866,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:76943,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/197520698?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1H7N!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cef81b1-a1d0-4e05-acb6-804ee4648918_866x1086.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">My volcanic mother, with her beautiful grey hair. </figcaption></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Recitatio by Otilia Jones &amp; Guests is a labour of love dedicated to Romanian poetry. If you&#8217;re enjoying these posts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. </p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">

</pre></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[In the Mountains ]]></title><description><![CDATA["Eternity was born in the village." Lucian Blaga]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/in-the-mountains</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/in-the-mountains</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:09:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/195228193/7457ab3537f95aec6f8dc7ec22662e36.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My dearest readers and listeners, today we have a very special poem, and it will be no surprise to you that it was chosen by <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Tamara&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:172077568,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r6Cj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215451b0-b26c-43bf-a8a8-77ca936adf6c_1092x1090.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;704b7703-0229-44e7-8982-69b60e95b53c&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> . Her wonderful and sweet Romanian voice brings Lucian Blaga&#8217;s poem &#8220;In the Mountains&#8221; to life, while I strive to give it voice in English. The translation is superb and also crafted by <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Tamara&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:172077568,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r6Cj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215451b0-b26c-43bf-a8a8-77ca936adf6c_1092x1090.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;98d74123-dabb-4e7e-ba15-dbfa3745677f&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> &#8212;an absolute treat!</p><p>Lucian Blaga is a giant of Romanian poetry and philosophy. I will not delve into biographical details here, as I would rather link you to this page https://iep.utm.edu/lucian-blaga/  where you will be able to learn so much about this beautiful genius. He was captivated by the mystery of life, and his philosophy draws you into the metaphysical approach to the mystery of existence. </p><p>The poem that <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Tamara&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:172077568,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r6Cj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215451b0-b26c-43bf-a8a8-77ca936adf6c_1092x1090.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;daf64b4b-4df6-4bda-a9ed-7acb3ec41c5b&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> has chosen is perfect because Blaga&#8217;s brilliant mind was moulded and carefully structured by the beauty and mystery of the village life he experienced as a child. Alongside his father&#8217;s library of priceless books, local legends, the myths, and the untouched sacredness of nature were also monumental, I believe, in the development of who Blaga became later in life.</p><p>Without further ado, I invite you to press play and read the poem. I also invite you to read the poem out loud yourselves&#8230; a few times, slowly. It will transport you, and that&#8217;s why we have poetry.</p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">&#206;N MUN&#538;I
de Lucian Blaga 

L&#226;ng&#259; schit miezul nop&#355;ii g&#259;se&#351;te
f&#259;pturi adormite-n picioare. Duhul mu&#351;chiului umed
umbl&#259; prin v&#259;g&#259;uni.
Din r&#259;s&#259;rit vin fluturi c&#226;t buhele
s&#259;-&#351;i caute &#238;n focuri cenu&#351;a.
L&#226;ng&#259; r&#259;d&#259;cinile brazilor, l&#226;ng&#259; blestemul cucutelor
ciobanul pune p&#259;m&#226;nt
peste mieii uci&#351;i de puterile codrului.
Peste muche trec&#226;nd
fetele st&#226;nilor &#8212; &#238;&#351;i freac&#259; de lun&#259; umerii goi,
aventura lor se p&#259;trunde suprafireasc&#259;
de pulberea luminos st&#226;rnit&#259; din disc ca un roi.

Cai galbeni &#351;i-adun&#259; sarea vie&#355;ii din ierburi.
Mocnind subt copaci Dumnezeu se face mai mic 
s&#259; aib&#259; loc ciupercile ro&#351;ii
s&#259; creasc&#259; subt spatele lui.
&#206;n s&#226;ngele oilor noaptea p&#259;durii e vis lung &#351;i greu.

Pe patru v&#226;nturi ad&#226;nci 
p&#259;trunde somnul &#238;n fagi b&#259;tr&#226;ni.
Subt scut de st&#226;nci, undeva
un b&#259;laur cu ochii &#238;ntor&#351;i spre steaua polar&#259;
viseaz&#259; lapte albastru furat din st&#226;ni.
</pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic" width="880" height="973" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:973,&quot;width&quot;:880,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:166583,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/195228193?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3r22!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2089b448-e7e6-47a3-91a3-226039870533_880x973.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Source: Domino Harvey / BoredPanda.com </figcaption></figure></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">IN THE MOUNTAINS 
translated by Tamara Arden

Beside the hermitage, midnight finds
creatures sleeping on their feet. The spirit of wet moss
moves through the hollows.
From the east come moths the size of owls
to search the embers for their ash.
At the roots of the firs, beside the hemlock&#8217;s curse,
the shepherd lays earth
over the lambs killed by the forest&#8217;s powers.
Crossing the ridge,
the girls of the sheepfolds &#8212; rub their bare shoulders against the moon,
their adventure grows supernal,
pierced by the bright dust rising from the disc like a swarm.

Yellow horses gather the salt of life from the grass.
Smoldering beneath the trees, God makes Himself
smaller, to give the red mushrooms
room to grow beneath His back.
In the blood of the sheep the night of the forest is a long, heavy dream.

On four deep winds 
sleep enters the ancient beeches.
Under a shield of cliffs, somewhere,
a dragon with his eyes turned toward the polar star
dreams of blue milk stolen from the folds.
</pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic" width="1179" height="1781" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kpyG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1438d0ee-01d2-4444-824d-d2b41d4ac506_1179x1781.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">This priceless book is available on Amazon..com </figcaption></figure></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">
</pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Recitatio by Otilia Jones &amp; Guests is a labour of love dedicated to Romanian poetry. If you&#8217;re enjoying these posts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. </p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">
</pre></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Art Needs an Operation ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Listen now | "Dada puts an artificial sweetness onto things, a snow of butterflies coming out of a conjurer's skull. Dada is stillness and does not understand the passions."]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/art-needs-an-operation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/art-needs-an-operation</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:43:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/194430824/55bcc7d18a7fd85b88362ffe9b252a71.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tristan Tzara (French: [t&#641;ist&#593;&#771; dza&#641;a]; Romanian: [tris&#712;tan &#712;t&#865;sara]; born Samuel or Samy Rosenstock, also known as S. Samyro; born on 16 April 1896 &#8211; was a Romanian avant-garde poet, essayist and performance artist. Also active as a journalist, playwright, literary and art critic, composer and film director, he was known best for being one of the founders and central figures of the anti-establishment Dada movement. </p><p>The title of this post is a quote from &#8220;Seven Dada Manifestos and Lampisteries&#8221; and I ache to realise how relevant it is today. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic" width="765" height="956" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:956,&quot;width&quot;:765,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:42934,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/194430824?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R0U8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20a0a4f1-be7e-41da-bfe4-39fb24e28482_765x956.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">To Make a Dadaist Poem

Take a newspaper.
Take some scissors.
Choose from this paper an article the length you want to make your poem.
Cut out the article.
Next carefully cut out each of the words that make up this article and put them all in a bag.
Shake gently.
Next take out each cutting one after the other.
Copy conscientiously in the order in which they left the bag.
The poem will resemble you.
And there you are&#8212;an infinitely original author of charming sensibility, even though unappreciated by the vulgar herd.
</pre></div><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;d363009f-947d-4a7b-8037-9f010153becf&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>Pentru a face o poezie dadaist&#259;</p><p>Lua&#539;i un ziar</p><p>Lua&#539;i o pereche de foarfeci</p><p>Alege&#539;i din ziar un articol care s&#259; aib&#259; lungimea pe care vre&#539;i s&#259; o da&#539;i poeziei voastre.</p><p>Decupa&#539;i articolul.</p><p>T&#259;ia&#539;i cu grij&#259; toate cuvintele care formeaz&#259; respectivul articol &#537;i pune&#539;i aceste cuvinte &#238;ntr-un s&#259;cule&#539;.</p><p>Agita&#539;i-l &#238;nceti&#537;or.</p><p>Scoate&#539;i cuvintele unul dup&#259; altul, dispun&#226;ndu-le &#238;n ordinea &#238;n care le extrage&#539;i.</p><p>Copia&#539;i-le cuviincios. Poezia v&#259; va sem&#259;na.</p><p>&#536;i iat&#259;-v&#259; un scriitor infinit de original &#537;i &#238;nzestrat cu o sensibilitate &#238;nc&#226;nt&#259;toare, de&#537;i, se &#238;n&#539;elege, ne&#238;n&#539;eleas&#259; de oamenii vulgari.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic" width="1440" height="1800" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1800,&quot;width&quot;:1440,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:184184,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/194430824?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIMf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94d8e3b9-ec40-46bc-8ee0-526bf09c8ef8_1440x1800.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Portrait of Tzara by Marcel Janco, dated 1919, mixed media, (Centre Pompidou). </figcaption></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Recitatio is a labor of love dedicated to Romanian poetry. If you&#8217;re enjoying these posts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. </p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sweet Feeling of Waking]]></title><description><![CDATA[Listen now | "I will lose the habit of stars in the heavens, as frozen water loses the habit of snowflakes."]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/sweet-feeling-of-waking</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/sweet-feeling-of-waking</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:05:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192732093/56e904c9e9b755cf44b139f47feb9bc6.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today, on March 31st, Nichita Stanescu was born. He was an exceptional Romanian poet, essayist, and critic, recognised for his metaphysical, often surrealist, and deeply philosophical approach to language, love, and existence. His work frequently blurs the lines between reality and dream, often focusing on abstract concepts expressed through tender or absurdist imagery.</p><p>Nichita transformed Soviet-style aesthetics from within, infusing the tangible world with a unique metaphysical vocabulary. He received the Herder Prize in 1975 and was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1979. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic" width="285" height="438" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:438,&quot;width&quot;:285,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:14981,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/192732093?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lahY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8ee983e-7ba1-4e8f-8ab4-787f7ba82f9b_285x438.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text"><em>Semn 12</em>

Ea devenise &#238;ncetul cu &#238;ncetul cuv&#226;nt,
fuioare de suflet de v&#226;nt,
delfin &#238;n ghearele spr&#226;ncenelor mele,
piatr&#259; st&#226;rnind &#238;n ap&#259; inele,
stea &#238;nl&#259;untrul genunchiului meu,
cer &#238;nl&#259;untrul um&#259;rului meu,
eu &#238;nl&#259;untrul eului meu.

<em>Sign 12 </em>

Little by little she became a word,
bundles of soul on the wind,
a dolphin in the clutches of my eyebrows,
a stone provoking rings in water,
a star inside my knee,
a sky inside my shoulder,
and I inside I.</pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Monday to Friday Poet by Otilia Jones is a reader-supported publication. Recitatio is a labor of love dedicated to Romanian poetry. If you&#8217;re enjoying these posts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. </p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Twenty Forever: A Stanza Cut Short ]]></title><description><![CDATA["Ferns burn with purple flames, I can see the altar, I can hear the drum..."]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/twenty-forever-a-stanza-cut-short</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/twenty-forever-a-stanza-cut-short</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:41:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/191155920/ebf9928c95451ad1cc2a384f57e55b13.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Today&#8217;s poem was selected by <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Sebastian&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:107289697,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a06140f4-40a3-4c53-890d-f06b34e04ecd_1080x1078.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;4e2e35c9-9b61-46ba-8a5b-5575992d3257&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> , whose wonderful voice will also be reading it. My husband, <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Martin Jones&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:166830890,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/312709fd-d5ad-45bf-ba04-4b5ab5f68199_96x96.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;de4c0d61-43d8-4369-a705-60789780233a&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> has agreed to read the English version, and I hope they will both enchant you. </em></p><p><em>Nicolae Labi&#537;, the child of two schoolteachers, grew up in a village surrounded by mountains and forests. He began reading at the age of five, helped by his mother&#8217;s pupils. Before becoming of school age, he devoured many books of stories and even dabbled in illustration, showing a great potential talent. He wrote his first novel at fourteen and, by fifteen, he was reciting his poetry to audiences. Later, he became a thorn in the side of the communist regime and a thunderous spirit among the Romanian people. Tragically, he met his death at the age of twenty-one. Nicolae was a born poet; he did not merely become one. His premature sensitivity and premonition for poetry was obvious from his youth &#8212; when he got marked by the hunting of a deer &#8212; and his entire later being was a sacrifice on the altar of beautiful thinking. To paraphrase Shelley, he was the mirror reflecting the gigantic shadows cast by the regime&#8217;s darkness upon our people.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic" width="411" height="298" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Prh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe208d3ef-2910-4a68-9474-2622c73d125f_411x298.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Romanian </em></p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">Am dou&#259;zeci de ani &#537;i m&#259; exprim 
&#206;ntr-o odaie de hotel, spre sear&#259; 
St&#259;m &#238;mpreun&#259;, cei ce ne iubim
&#206;nfiora&#539;i de iarn&#259; de afar&#259;, 
De ce s&#259; mint, prietenii mei nu-s, 
Dar vuiet la fereastr&#259; d&#259; t&#226;rcoale&#8230;
&#206;nchipuire-mi numai v-a adus 
Prieteni dragi, pe scaunele goale, 
Dau un osp&#259;&#539;, am dou&#259;zeci de ani.

<em>English</em>
 
I'm twenty years old and I manifest myself 
In a hotel room, towards evening 
We sit together, those who love each other 
Shivering from the winter outside, 
Why should I lie, my friends are not there, 
But a roar at the window is circling... 
My imagination has only brought you 
Dear friends, to these empty chairs, 
I feast alone; I'm twenty years old.
</pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Monday to Friday Poet by Otilia Jones is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Definition of a Cry]]></title><description><![CDATA[Octavian Paler was one of Romania&#8217;s top writers and journalists.]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/definition-of-a-cry</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/definition-of-a-cry</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:47:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/191031482/9aa3682a1a519e9f90db9f87229bf39f.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Octavian Paler was one of Romania&#8217;s top writers and journalists. Originally a member of the Communist Party, he soon split with them due to his criticism of the regime, which led to persecution by the secret police and the suppression of his artistic work. Following the revolution, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the influential newspaper Romania Libera (Free Romania). In a 2006 Romania Television survey, Paler was voted one of the 100 greatest Romanians of all times. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic" width="820" height="1084" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1084,&quot;width&quot;:820,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:64933,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/i/191031482?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dmBD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F28108053-a666-45da-959e-0636721b39a5_820x1084.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>&#8220;Definitions&#8221; is a pocket book of poems and definitions given by Paler to various  feelings, relationships, experiences. It has been published by Istros Books in London and translated from Romanian by Ileana Stefanescu and Susan D. Curtis. </p><p>Definition of a Cry</p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">I would tell you something, 
about us, 
about the snow outside, 
about my love. 

I would tell you something, 
anything, 
lest the grass of silence grow between us. 

I would tell you something, 
that you knew, 
that I know, 
but the grass of silence has started to grow between us
and the sound of the word 'late' has been mislaid. </pre></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kite]]></title><description><![CDATA[Spring, you make us roar with hope!]]></description><link>https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/kite</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://otiliajones.substack.com/p/kite</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Monday to Friday Poet]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:51:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190937869/2d169302102e6aca3794e199640e4139.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My dear subscribers,</p><p>I&#8217;m thrilled to launch a new section of my account featuring a short poem I wrote in Romanian, followed by its faithful English translation. I hope you enjoy it and that it sparks your curiosity to explore more authentic Romanian poetry available out there. I appreciate you, I see you, and I bow to you.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://otiliajones.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Monday to Friday Poet by Otilia Jones is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>