Archive > Vol. 15 no. 1
Julie Hartwig
Rejection
Translated from the Polish by John and Bogdana Carpenter
Before me I have the printed map of a city
that captivated me
a beautiful city
How startling the plan in its nakedness
It shouts names of streets
like headlines in tabloid newspapers
thrust at anyone
But these names hide a secret
In the names
I can hear the rhythm of my steps on sidewalks
names of bridges looking at the river with my eyes
This map is a great lie
It tries to convince me everything stands intact
because it keeps its names
I hate this map
It is like the story of a deaf-mute
bones sucked dry by time
from which the flesh has fallen off
It is like a woman
spread out on a huge bed
hanging in the clouds
like an insult hurled at the past
One could destroy it tear it up
but then it would begin to bleed