the heavens opened
and I hid
in old Fisher’s
shop
– sprinkle this rug
each month
with goose and goat blood
and censer the curtains
with opium smoke
– at four a.m. my dog
begun to talk
with my father’s voice
– this is a good sign
the skies cleared
I went out onto the town square
and bowed before the factory
owner’s daughter
who laughed
and said:
what a pity you can no longer touch
my breasts and my hands
who would have thought
after death
you would become pure watching
translated by Marek Kaźmierski
photo Michał SzlagaGrzegorz Kwiatkowski, born 1984, lives in Gdańsk, poet and musician; he has published three books of poetry: Przeprawa (2008), Eine Kleine Todesmusik (2009) and Osłabić (2010); a member of the band Trupa Trupa, who released their debut album, LP, in June 2011; listed twice for the Paszporty Polityki award (2009, 2010); winner of numerous awards: the Splendor Gedanensis (2011, also nominated in 2009), the Artistic Award of Gdańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sztuki [The Gdańsk Art Lovers’ Society] (2010), the City of Gdańsk Award for Young Artists (2009), as well as the Władysław Broniewski, Witold Gombrowicz and Złoty Środek Poezji awards for poetry; holder of numerous scholarships (such as: the Grazella Foundation Scholarship, the City of Gdańsk Scholarship); Nominated three times for the Gazeta Wyborcza’s Storm of the Year award (2008, 2009, 2010); He has published in many newspapers and magazines, including: Tygodnik Powszechny, Gazeta Wyborcza, Midrasz, Dziennik, Lampa, Dwutygodnik, Kwartalnik Artystyczny and Odra.
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.