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Demi McCulloch/lxndscape

In The Middle Of Life by Tadeusz Rozewicz

After the end of the world after my death I found myself in the middle of life I created myself constructed life people animals landscapes

this is a table I was saying this is a table on the table are lying bread a knife the knife serves to cut the bread people nourish themselves with bread

one should love man I was learning by night and day what one should love I answered man

this is a window I was saying this is a window beyond the window is a garden in the garden I see an apple tree the apple tree blossoms the blossoms fall off the fruits take form they ripen my father is picking up an apple that man who is picking up an apple is my father I was sitting on the threshold of the house

that old woman who is pulling a goat on a rope is more necessary and more precious than the seven wonders of the world whoever thinks and feels that she is not necessary he is guilty of genocide

this is a man this is a tree this is bread

people nourish themselves in order to live I was repeating to myself human life is important human life has great importance the value of life surpasses the value of all the objects which man has made man is a great treasure I was repeating stubbornly

this water I was saying I was stroking the waves with my hand and conversing with the river water I said good water this is I

the man talked to the water talked to the moon to the flowers to the rain he talked to the earth to the birds to the sky the sky was silent the earth was silent if he heard a voice which flowed from the earth from the water from the sky it was the voice of another man

translated by Czeslaw Milosz

MM