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these poems – perhaps the
poet, perhaps each of us –
goes through successive stag-
es of feelings: falling in love,
hurt, loneliness, rebellion,
and reconciliation. There’s
no exaltation in her voice.
There’s tenderness and ma-
turity, allowing her to look at
the world with distance, and
oftentimes with irony.
However, Selected Poems is
not only about love and rela-
tionships. It’s also poetry of memory, transi- ence, and returns to childhood. In the piece about Małyń, we find a kind of peace that’s perhaps the only possible form of happiness: not much happens here (...) / the sun is smil- ing // there is calmness blueness and green- ness // not much happens here 4
It’s in this “not much” that everything is con- tained: breath, mindfulness, presence. There is something metaphysical in simple scenes – birch trees rustling, birds singing, silence – although the poet doesn’t need to name it. Anyway, this ability to notice small details concealing great emotion is one of the most moving features of her writing. In a poem about the death of a loved one, the follow- ing image appears: someone once said / one cannot despair / while gazing at the sky // at your funeral, / I watched the clouds / the whole time // I was not one of those women / who had the right to weep 5
The author is also not afraid to talk about femininity – wounded, mature, sometimes bitter, but always tender and aware of its own wounds and desires. Iliketoknow/myposition//evenifitis/ the bottom 6
The theme of time and inev- itable passing runs through- out the volume: and it seemed / they would last forever / in this chamomile yard / in this warm house/ in this safe bed / they are blown outbytime–onebyone7 Time isn’t an abstraction here. It’s something that takes people, places, mem- ories away forever. And yet, against all odds, poetry re-
Maria Duszka,
Wiersze wybrane / Selected poems VERIDIAN, 2024
mains. Poetry as a form of memory, as a way of making them “be there”, even though they are no longer physically present. The world of Selected Poems is a place of constant loss and return. Even a moment of loneliness – seem- ingly beloved – provokes a desire to share it with someone else. It’s the poetry of para- dox: loneliness becomes complete only when it can be told to someone else.
Maria Duszka’s poems are extremely personal, but never egocentric. These works resemble letters any of us could write if only we had the courage and willingness to express our emotions. This is where their universality lies. The Selected Poems collection is a book to be read repeatedly – slowly, in fragments. Like a notebook from life, which – despite passing time, loss, and mourning – still has value. In a world demanding spectacularity, Maria Duszka speaks with a gentle but unmissable voice. Excellent poetry, masterful miniatures. I highly recommend it.
Translated by Agnieszka Rezanow-Stöcker
Fragments of poems translated by: 1,2,3,4,6,7 – Kalina Duszka; 5 – Agnieszka Jankowska
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