Saturday, July 8, 2017

Anna Swir / Virginity




Virginity

BY ANNA SWIR
 Translated by Czeslaw Milosz and Leonard Nathan
One must be brave to live through
a day. What remains
is nothing but the pleasure of longing—very precious.

Longing
purifies as does flying, strengthens as does an effort,
it fashions the soul
as work
fashions the belly.

It is like an athlete, like a runner
who will never
stop running. And this
gives him endurance.

Longing
is nourishing for the strong.
It is like a window
on a high tower, through which
blows the wind of strength.

Longing,
Virginity of happiness.


Talking to My Body (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1996)




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