Lanugo

BY Joanna Mueller

to be a pair
closest to the self profoundly unknown
serious dangers existing                overwhelming the minority
stubborn nation                                              brawn before birth
uncommon wealth                    independent of exterminations
turning into sculpting                                            finger printing
faces barely glanced                                 in the transfer window
eyes = bacteria                                                          light sensitive
subsoul kickbacks                                        in a tunnel telescope
on aslant plains                  above                      fields of breaches
the bottom rises                                                         in this history
throwing weight around                            masses of incarnation
moss ridden armour                                                   covering you
in the joint of osmosis                                   barely there copycat
curl up even more             perceptively                along the fascia
a manatee in icy waves                  a dolphin diving ultrasounds
wallowing and wrapping self                             ground in repose
another week                                                    walking in this love
in a lake of tears                                               arterial scaredy-cat
rhythm traumas the refrain                              the silencing echo
disaster of yield                                     don't reward me with loss
harness the risks                                  log me in the ledger of type
not to be like a cat mother                                    when distressed
can come to bear                                                  kittens to death
nor like a promise                                which disappoints you

immerse yourself in us
let one such as you
happen upon me

                               

                                                                                    [collect]
translated by Marek Kaźmierski                                               

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Joanna MuellerJoanna Mueller, born 1979, poet, literary scholar and critic. Polish language studies graduate from Warsaw University. She debuted in 2003 with a poetry book Somnambóle fantomowe. Her second publication was Zagnizdowniki / Gniazdowniki in 2007, and it was nominated for Gdynia Literary Award. Since signing the Neolinguistic manifesto in December 2002, her work is usually ascribed to neolinguism, she calls it “archelinguism”. She worked as an editor in “LiteRacje”. Her poems and critical articles were published in “Twórczość”, “Teksty Drugie”, “Literatura na Świecie”, “Lampa”, and others. She lives in Warsaw.

Marek KaźmierskiMarek Kaźmierski, born in Warsaw, raised in London, he manages diversity delivery in a young offenders' institute. He also writes, shoots films and runs OFF_PRESS, a bi-lingual indie publishing house. Joint winner of 2007 Penguin Decibel Prize and sole recipient of the 2005 Bike Magazine Philosopher of the Year Award.