EVERYTHING

"Totul" - A Romanian poem by the former dissident writer - Ana Blandiana.

'Totul' (Everything) is a list of things which either existed or didn't exist in Romania at the time and was therefore immediately familar to Romanians - the poor conditions, meagre food, and the symbols of the personality cult of Ceausescu.

"EVERYTHING"

- by Ana Blandiana, 1984

..... Leaves, words, tears
Tinned Food, Cats
Trams from time to time, queues for flour
Weevils, empty bottles, speeches
Elongated images on the television
Colorado beetles, petrol
Pennants, the European Cup
Trucks with gas cylinders, familiar portraits
Export-reject apples
Newspapers, loaves of bread
Blended oil, carnations
Receptions at the airport
Cico-cola, balloons
Bucharest salami, diet yoghurt
Gypsy women with Kents, Crevedia Eggs
Rumours
The Saturday serial, coffee substitutes
The struggle of nations for peace, choirs
Production by the hectare
Gerovital, the Victoriei Avenue Mob
The Hymn of Romania, Adidas shoes
Bulgarian stewed fruit, jokes, sea fish
Everything.

- translated from the Romanian of Ana Blandiana