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elusive God / weaven / from our prayers and desires // sometimes in love / and sometimes in loneliness we face You 6
Unlike the author’s daughter, whose words are quoted in the second part of the book, containing short anecdotes, notes from meetings, and over- heard conversations, I do not consider Duszka to be a “scantily clad poet”. As I mentioned, I’m captivated by the subtlety she translates into her poems. I’ll make a brief digression here. When I first read the entries from Tomasz Jastrun’s online diary, I was slightly shocked by his open- ness, sharing details of his private life, including his family life. In all candour, I asked the author if he didn’t think they were too exhibitionist. He was very surprised by this question and replied that he did not, adding, “the boundary of intimacy is different for everyone”. Probably the same applies to how Duszka’s poetry is perceived by her daughter and myself.
But back to Hanami. An important part of this collection are poems about love. They also bring to mind associations with the ritual of watch- ing cherry blossoms falling. On the one hand, love is shown as a miracle, proof of God’s ex- istence, participation in the contemplation of the beauty of the world, and on the other hand, its transience and fragility are emphasized. years / homes / the men in my life / come and go // the misty December evening / the muddy country road / stay with me / linger on // your kiss / – proof that God exists7
Poets are increasingly less likely to elevate love to the level of sacrum. Despite the disappoint- ments that are an integral part of life, Duszka doesn’t lose faith in love or in God. In a brutal world of wars and rapid technological progress, she manages to maintain distance and calm. And it is in this stoic, unwavering attitude that I see the greatest value of her poems, allowing
us to simply breathe. Much like the Japanese in their cherry gardens.
when cherries bloom / the Japanese do not work / they celebrate a holiday // even in big town centres / they sit for several days / un- der the blooming trees // feeling no pity for elapsing time // they sit until cherry petals / are gone // filled up with the beauty / they go back to work // at my housing development / an old plum orchard / was cut down unnec- essarily // the neighbours say: / it will be or- der here at last [...] 8
You may ask yourself how this image relates to the stereotype of the busy Japanese work- aholic? Not at all, right?
Because, as mentioned, the orchard in the po- et’s neighborhood was cut down, she escapes to the countryside, to the places where she spent her childhood.
I am walking in the streets of this town again // I go back in time // layer by layer / the hap- piness and misfortune of my life fall from me // I am that little girl again / walking with gran- dmother to buy warm bread / to the bakery in the market square 9
The metaphor on “happiness and misfortune falling away” brings falling of cherry blossoms to mind. The lyrical subject compares herself to a tree returning to its roots. She draws strength from them.
it is time / to take the Małyń beaten path // get lost in the tall grass / face the wind and the sky / find the very self (Summer) 10
Those who love small homelands they left years ago, perfectly well understand how valuable such returns are. Duszka’s patriotism is not the crude, slogan-chanting kind shouted at nation- alist rallies and marches, but a very subtle one. It’s an awareness of one’s own roots and their value. And, importantly, it’s not exclusionary
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