Romain Dannin

writer and narrative designer

[romaindannin]

-

de la fumée de la lumière je crois je ne sais pas des larmes derrière mes lunettes dans la rue du bonheur de la peur je ne sais pas ce fauteuil ces escaliers ai-je fermé cette porte pour la dernière fois

j'espère je ne sais pas

[romaindannin]

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one more

white and yellow

or yellow

or white

25

50

50

25

50

25

25

and then maybe i’ll be fine

[romaindannin]

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j’écoute ce que notre histoire me dit

dans le souffle de l’ennui

dans un silence comme un duvet

un mur contre la vie

nos nuits qui succèdent à des nuits

l'eau chaude qui m'apaise

nos corps couverts de nos corps

l'air frais qui me fait taire

nos mains vides si ce n’est de nous-mêmes

[romaindannin]

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écrit pour le jeu vidéo Antoine

S’uniront les planètes, alors il sera là

L’étoile, le berger, l’union de nos vertus

La réponse à nos maux, signe tant attendu

L’inestimable enfant, la clé de l’au-delà 

Attendant calmement, patients depuis longtemps

Si longue l’attente, depuis notre genèse

L’an de grâce, mille sept-cent soixante seize

Enfin l’élu trouvé, alors il sera temps

Terrible destinée, que ne devons-nous faire

Un jour d’alignement, commettre l’indicible

Pour que nous accepte, le triangle invisible 

D’une lame pointue, infliger le calvaire

De notre saint martyr, offert le sang versé, 

La porte s’ouvrira, pour nous la traverser.

[romaindannin]

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Il fut un océan fait d’or et de diamants,

Un sanctuaire serein et perdu dans l’asphalte

Où il était bon pour un repos d’y faire halte.

Il fut un océan ; marécage de sang.

Des cornes et des sabots sur le sol martelant. 

Des yeux pleins d’Enfer, souillures dans ce cobalt.

Son corps est de granit, de pierre et de basalte. 

Tandis qu’il beugle, il fait trembler le firmament. 

Il court, il piétine, il fracasse, et il détruit ; 

Il agresse sans pitié l’innocent rêveur ; 

Il fuit et laisse un corps qui n’est plus que débris. 

Sur son passage est né le règne de la peur, 

Tout s’est effondré une fois qu’il fut parti,

Et tout n’est plus que ruines, tout est englouti.

[romaindannin]

(english)

inside

i see in blue

part of me

20 years old

0mg

(français)

haïkus

miel et camomille

je ne sais pas

le taureau dans l'eau

prophétie

[romaindannin]

-

le ciel s'assombrit 

lacs et rivières s'assèchent

les pétales tombent 

-

la voilà enfin 

sa douce brise m’enchante

la fin de l’été

-

le renard se cache

dans le grand buisson fleuri

il se rafraichit 

-

ta main et la mienne

telle la graine et le sol 

se sont rencontrées

-

la grenouille saute 

dans l’eau fraiche de l’automne 

ça fait un grand plouf 

-

notre amour est né

une vague qui déferle

sur les feuilles mortes 

[romaindannin]

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do you remember

we were 20 years old 

i was in the sofa reading poetry

you were on the ground solving equations

sometimes, to better think i think, you would put your head on my legs

i never knew what time it was 

i couldn't bother to open the windows 

i never knew what day it was

i couldn't realise how long it had been since i’d met you 

if we were hungry, we would make a pie together

even after so many times, you would always tell me what to do 

i know how to chop a fucking tomato, thank u 

i make the best pies today, the best desserts too 

i have a stand mixer, a brand new oven and all the utensils 

i made my own crepe cake for my birthday

would you like to taste it, asshole 

my boyfriend loved it 

do you remember

i was 20 years old

i was afraid of everything 

i had no clue 

no clue i was so sad

no clue what happy was

what an idiot i was

to be with you 

i was afraid of everything 

did you help with that, honey?

do you remember

you were 20 years old

you had it all figured out, didn't u 

especially me, so figured out

you told me who i was and what i was supposed to be

according to you, i'd never be happy 

you made me believe i was nothing 

and that you knew anything about making an entree 

thing is, babe, olive cakes are better with milk 

u made me eat that shit 

do you remember

when i was 20 years old

the things you said

the things you made me believe

that it was all my fault

that it was me 

who hurt you

you told me i was a narcissist

well, guess what, i'm actually depressed

i have an anxiety disorder 

and abysmally low self-esteem 

isn't it funny how wrong you were?

but i'm fine now

i'm taking my pills

i know how to make meringues 

not thanks to you

do you remember

what it's like to be 20 years old 

do you remember me 

what you did to me 

do you remember

when i made you those pancakes

and you didn't eat them 

you piece of shit 

i barely remember you, and that awful lasagna

i was only 20 years old

(...)

i'm 28 now

i still read poetry

i make my own recipes 

i spend so much time in the sofa, or at the desk 

writing without you watching me 

the more i write the less you can hurt me

et plus j'écris, moins ton souvenir me hante

[romaindannin]

-

you see 

that part of me

i'm afraid of 

and that pushes me 

away always

and you 

as well

you see that part of me i'm afraid of and that pushes me away always and you as well

is now gone

[romaindannin]

-

we spent the day inside 

again 

the light outside

is bright

i don’t wanna close the curtains 

yet

i don’t wanna feel sad

at night

[romaindannin]

-

i’m in shorts in the sofa, playing

you’re in shorts at the table, working 

light through the window is right over me

i’m hot 

i’ve been sweating all day 

so hot 

i can see your bright forehead

so so hot

all i can think of is that sparkling water 

that we’re out of 

and that cold shower

i’ll take tonight 

or tomorrow

[romaindannin]

-

there’s tofu frying

in the pan

while i cut a zucchini, 

you pour lemonade

tofu’s frying in the pan 

it smells of wasted spring 

and dead houseplants 

soy sauce 

overwhelms us

[romaindannin]

-

i’m drinking coffee and listening to the radio 

it’s another morning of another week 

wondering how much time i’ll still be waiting

for this feeling to go away

for that pain in my chest to disappear 

to be explained 

that fear of that pain

that causes

that pain that i dread

[romaindannin]

-

here again reading poetry trying to write poetry playing bloodborne reading the fucking news wondering if i should go outside to write poetry

[romaindannin]

-

light through the window

i’ve got spring in memory

the ficus is dying

shadows in the living room

vicarious spring of two

my pilea has grown so much

my monstera has grown a lot too 

my hair is so long, as well 

[romaindannin]

-

i remember that afternoon during the fall 

when anthony gave me my first kiss by the river 

with his lips against my lips i closed my eyes 

and could see the leaves dancing around us

in yellow, in brown, in red 

i see in these colours sometimes, during winter nights 

winter nights that remind me of the way bradley pushed me against a wall

his hands holding my wrists 

i remember the white of my tears when i realised that i didn’t love him 

and that he didn’t love me 

the tears in my eyes  

pure white

i see that snow, less and less often though, in spring mornings 

those warm and fresh mornings i spent with martin

his soft chest perfectly laid on my back

rebuilding me 

before crushing me 

finally, completely 

into a dark black mess 

i see in that pain, almost never anymore, now that summer is here 

summer evenings with you, honey 

summer so blue 

your eyes in my eyes

i see in blue

and now, honey, i see in you