THE PENCIL'S SLEEP

- by Tymoteuscz Karpowicz (1921~ 2005 )

when the pencil undresses
for sleep he firmly resolves
to sleep stiff and black
the innate inflexibility
of all the piths of the
world helps him
the spinal chord
of the pencil will
break rather than bend
he never dreams
of waves
or hair
only of soldiers
standing to attention
or coffins
what stretches
out in him
is straight
what stretches
beyond is
crooked.
Goodnight.

* * *

translated by Andrzey Busza and Bogdan Czaykowski from the Polish of Tymoteuscz Karpowicz - (1921 Wilno / Vilnius, Poland ~ 2005 Oak Park, Chicago, USA)