READING YOUR POEMS TRANSLATED FROM THE POLISH—

snow and origami swans

were almost enough

                                    to keep me

from drinking

away another night. Almost

like the simple beagle waving her tail

is also almost enough,

                                    but I still haven’t seen

those rivers or glaciers or mothers

folding ribbons into flowers

that make it all something

                                    better than the loud

                                    braying of after hours.

So I console myself

                              with one or two delusions:

we all suffer

                        in our urge for more

& that some day:

            a thousand tea lights

                        skinny girls in blue sandals

                                    a quilted canoe—

your baby in my belly,

kicking

humming away my selfish heart.

Image by: Esparta Palma