I lost a few goddesses on my way from south to north,
as well as many gods on my way from east to west.
Some stars went out on me for good: part for me, O sky.
Island after island collapsed into the sea on me.
I’m not sure exactly where I left my claws,
who wears my fur, who dwells in my shell.
My siblings died out when I crawled onto land
and only a tiny bone in me marks the anniversary.
I jumped out of my skin, squandered vertebrae and legs,
and lost my senses many many times.
Long ago I closed my third eye to it all,
waved it off with my fins, shrugged my branches.
Scattered by the four winds to a place that time forgot,
how little there remains of me surprises me a lot,
a singular being of human kind for now,
who lost her umbrella in a tram somehow.
--Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Joanna Trzeciak
No comments:
Post a Comment