Translated from the Polish by Danuta E. Kosk-Kosicka
the return of Odysseus
labyrinth
hairy walls rumble screams and whispers
clatter of hooves of carnivorous beast’s seething with horns
anxious feet would like to leave but they are so faithful!
hips recite rhythmic prayers for the dying
then a light approaches and i see:
i am outside.
i’ve always been here.
bigger than myself
a tale about the world
since the world is full of signs and each thing indicates another one like a blade of grass bent by the wind indicates space
since wealth has been doubled since reality was not itself enough
then how does the world about the world differ from the world
what remains of a leaf of grass after subtracting the leaf of grass
is being a sign not something infinitely more important
than being
is a tale about the world different from the truth about it
Grzegorz Białkowski (1932-1989) was a Polish poet, physicist, and educator. His poems and prose appeared in Poland in prestigious literary journals such as Współczesność, Odra, and Twórczość. He is the author of eight poetry books, published by leading presses like Czytelnik and Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza. These three translations are of the poems in his eighth, posthumous book, Figury z piasku (Figures in the Sand), published in 2015 by Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (WUW). Danuta’s translations of other poems from the book have appeared in the USA in Tupelo Quarterly, ANMLY, Nashville Review, and Poet Lore.
Danuta E. Kosk-Kosicka is the author of two collections: Face Half-Illuminated (Apprentice House) and Oblige the Light (CityLit Press). Shades of Isolation is forthcoming in 2026 from Finishing Line Press. She is the translator for four books by Lidia Kosk and works by other Polish poets, including Ernest Bryll, Stanisław Lem, Marcin Świetlicki, and Wisława Szymborska. Her works appeared in Notre Dame Review, San Pedro River Review, SLANT, Spillway, and elsewhere. She serves as the Poetry Translations Editor for Loch Raven Review. Danuta grew up in Poland and now resides in Maryland, USA. More at: danutakk.wordpress.com