Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski (1921-1944)
Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski died in the Warsaw uprising defending a house near the Wielki Theater, Warsaw , Poland
White MagicStanding before the mirror of silence
with her hands in her hair,
Barbara pours into her glass body
silver droplets of her voice.
And then like a jar
she fills with light and glasslike
filters stars through herself
and the white dust of the moon.
Through the quivering prism of her body
in the music of white sparks
minks will glide past
like fluffy leaves of sleep.
Hoarfrost will coat the bears in it
brightened by polar stars
and a stream of mice will weave through
flowing in a loud avalanche.
Until filled up with milk
she'll slowly sink into sleep
as melodically time will settle at the bottom
in a cascade of glare.
And so Barbara has a silver body. In it
the white mink of silence stiffens softly
under an unseen arm.
A Melody
Who'll give me back my musings
and the shadow that left after you?
Ah, these days like animals' murmur,
like plants are they - ever younger.
And before long - such little ones,
on a nutshell standing,
we'll sail against the seasons
as if to spite water rings.
The red of blood will be dreamt childishly
as puffed-out cheeks of a cherry.
The metal of storms will be discovered again
through a foamy blow-ball's head.
While the thunder of tears like an avalanche of stones
into little green beetles will change,
thus bending down to the water by turns
we'll incautiously sail to oblivion;
left behind by us on earth
only our shadows shall cry.
January 16, 1942
