Eliza Segiet

Translated by Artur Komoter

 

Life Occurred

For some

Life occurred

behind the thorny wire.

There, Numbers were born

– they worked,

– they died,

and death?

it visited them not only

during a bath.

To all

those

in striped, dirty suits

could have occurred –

Life.

 

Questions

What if you

rock the memories,

and hear

how much they wanted to live?

What if you

rock the echoes of the past?

How did people differ then?

By faith, by dreams?

Some ate bread from the oven –

I did not –

I think I did not like to.

 

Tell me, grandfather,

why, to take a bath,

were they going by train?

I don’t know –

I don’t think I remember.

 

Sea of Mists

 

In the hideout

I understood

that normality is when

you lie when you want,

and not when you have to.

When else?

When from the sea of mists

bodies do not emerge.

Normality is when

people do not harm people,

and children do not play killing!

– Dada, what are you thinking about?

– About war.

– Why? It’s over.

– My dear,

in us –

it will remain forever.

Eliza Segiet graduated with a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, completed postgraduate studies in Cultural Knowledge, Philosophy, Arts and Literature at Jagiellonian University, as well as Film and Television Production in Lodz.

Her works can be found in anthologies and literary magazines worldwide.