Mirek Bodnar 2

translated by Marichka Oliynyk

* * *

I am hiding in a corner,

eating quietly, sleeping quietly.

Suddenly – someone threw a hook.

I am nibbling.

Floating as a fish and rummaging in a silt.

Maybe carp, maybe sheatfish.

I am on the bottom, mule is on the top

drinking water and falling asleep.

The mule, heat and summer are on the top.

I am keeping to the depth.

Prominent actor, not Chaplin – Keaton,

has dreams about me.

Deep Mississippi.

A raft is floating, and on the raft

Indians,

hippies

arranged dancing,

putting tipi,

having golden skin.

Сhildren of flowers, all are bright,

consciousness is widened to the limit.

There Jesus is giving weed to Barabbas,

and «The Beatles» is arising from the towers of Babel.

As for me – I am just a fish,

floating and rummaging in a silt.

Dancing, singings, shouts, wheezes are heard from the top,

noise and boom are heard from the top.

Suddenly became quietly. Shhhh, not a word!

I felt silent, stopped and pretending

like I am forging quiet in myself.

Suddenly – someone threw a hook.

I am nibbling.

15.05.2010

---

translated by Khrystyna Mykhailiuk

9:1

sick beast wanders the dead zone

the bar where you met

other places which she visits

the district where she lives

the lanes along which she gets to her workplace –

you steer clear of all these places

(though sometimes you needn't)

you don't use the tram

by which she goes home

(though sometimes you need)

and what is the purpose of all that?

and the purpose is

not to come across her accidentally

and rape her directly in the street

right in front of everyone's eyes

sick beast wanders the dead zone

---

dialogue of the divorced

were you unfaithful?

with plenty of but on one occasion with everyone

and you?

I was

with one but on plenty of occasions

you'll return to me

no

it wasn't a question

then yes

and for how long this time?

till the end

until death do us part

good

I'll buy you a handgun

---

before I relent and slip out

it would be a beautiful,

almost divine job

unless there weren't a forced necessity

to leave her alone in bed with her orgasm after everything has happened

(she coils,

doesn't shout anymore

doesn't beseech

makes muffled sounds by a whisked breath)

and to go to the bathroom to wash the hands

full of warm sperm

and then to return

to lie down near her

and for a few minutes more

like beasts

to smell into sex

hence don't ask why I don't come

why from time to time I stop

I stop to continue

I don't come to drag out for the moment

when being exhausted and wet

we fall asleep

absorbed by each other

---

schism

what is the most doleful thing in the world?

when a bottle is over

when cigarettes are over

when grass is over

but these are trifles

the most doleful thing is when she says:

don't you mind to stay the night at your own place?