translated by Lia Purpura

extraordinary ego
my master Gombrowicz
smiled, lasted
it seemed the Cos-
mos it seemed the Dan-
dy would never pass

look I process to your grave
at Vence I bring one magnolia blossom
a medal with a ruby
I bring records of Quartetto di Roma
with Elizabeth Schumann and Toscanini
I bring an old edition of Pascal
the Memoirs of St. Simone you liked
I guess

the scent of queer flowers the cruising
at night I bring the only photo I
have: you you and you
monday tuesday you- the dog the chaise in the garden you
with my great aunt in Warsaw at a party she splashed water
in your face now sir will you remember me
I bring my eyes my moustache I bring hands which
turned the pages of your diary and the dead bee on my shoe
I bring my stomach my hips my cock my head
in which nightmares dwell
you you and you I lean my head against your grave
and draw the sign of the cross
slowly like a pagan do not begrudge this its no joke Dandy
of all Dandies the sign I draw it and wait
and listen to see if you'll
answer


Poems of Grzegorz Musial: Berliner Tagebuch and Taste of Ash,
tr. Lia Purpura. Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 1998.

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