by Mark

Its hard to translate the word YANA.  It has a rather fluid definition which makes so versatile. For example it can serve as an exclamation such as.  “It’s September 19th, did you see the snow outside?  Yana.” or “It dropped from 23 C (73 F) yesterday to 0 C (32 F) , Yana, when will the heat be on?” In this instance it could be translated roughly as “are you kidding me?” Yana has become a personal favorite word. (The other favorite is BISH which means not.  “Going to snow?  Bish” ) 

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This was the first time we got text messages on our phones warning us of a storm.  We were about half convinced it would come.  Usually we get some dustings first, nothing like this.  Yana.

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I sit looking out with a mug full of steaming tea by my side.  I watch smokey sitting on his fat haunches, listen as he growls eating his piece of meat.  In his mind he is a lion on the savannah defending his latest kill.  I think of the words of my city’s native son.  He used the word fog- I think snow, there are no harbors here.

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

He forgot one word- Yana.