Two Poems
Stanislaw Borokowski
translated by Chris Michalski in collaboration with the author

Dialogue

Woman 1: I'll stay with you tonight.

Man 1: Watching over the dead tonight alone would be terrible.

Woman 1: Why do you have to?

Man 1: In case someone comes.

Woman 1: Couldn't you just build a snowman and let him watch?

[Pause]

Woman 1: I could help you.

[Pause]

Woman 1: Build the snowman, I mean.

Man 1: There was a snowman here once.

[Pause]

Man 1: It had two horns.

[Pause]

Man 1: I mean, carrots.

[Pause]

Man 1: It was very alone.

Woman 1: It wouldn't be alone tonight. We'd be here.

[Pause]

Woman 1: Could you turn the light on?

Man 1: Let's wait a little while in the darkness.


situation report

it's warmuncannily warm

in the park today

there's a person named

 jo in your room

and somewhere out there

 a person named katharina

 you're hungry

there are other people too

the city is literally full of them

you want to wish them all

 good nightthough it's still
the middle of the morning

1996 © 2011