RYSZARD JAŚKOWSKI

RYSZARD JAŚKOWSKI

RIPENING OF WORD

(DOJRZEWANIE SŁOWA)

***

Only women

Can stop us

at their banks

us

especially sensitive

for starched collars

only mother

can remove from us burden of mannishness

when it is needed to wipe eyes

and shout all sins

in her kitchen apron

only wife

understanding bloody can miss

our returns

at four o' clock in the morning

with pockets full of experience

only girl

from street comer

doesn't ask for address

when we see her off without word

***

I made myself free

And I don't know what to do

I guess 1'11 observe the walls of room

Or maybe I will come across a wolf

Which allows me to admire its fangs

And give me a rule for freedom

I will follow its tracks

Nothing will catch my hand

Until I fall into the traps

***

maybe sighed

in my eyes sea

or maybe that' s only

rain cleansed sleep

from face

I'm looking at refluxes

immersive seagulls

raucous terns

combing white manes of waves

whisper whispers

in trawls of gibbous

fishermen around

RYSZARD JAŚKOWSKI

RYSZARD JAŚKOWSKI was born in Stalowa Wola, Poland, and attended Maria Curie Skłodowska University, where he received a degree in law. After graduation, he started working for co-operatives, first in his hometown, currently for National Supervision Union Of Spolem Consumer Co-operatives in Warsaw. Although he devoted himself to organizing and developing the co-operatives, he finds time to write poetry. He authored four books of poems: „Dojrzewanie słowa” (1997), „Siedem koszów obfitości” (2000), „Łaknienie” (2003) and „Trudno obudzić nadzieje” (2009). He is a member of the Polish Writers Union since 2004.