The Genesis of Teeth Poem by Eugenijus Ališanka

Father, like God, comes
through the fields, let's shoe
the earth, Son, he says
We shod and shod,
blood flowed, we wiped sweat
we sowed beans
A tree grew and grew
wooden, Oh and on that tree
sat Mother
Father plucked Mother
from the tree and
lifted me up
The earth rose
angry, it kicked the son
and the tree broke
Father like God shouts
the tree has fallen down, Mother
swaddles the tree
Mother went and went away
Father dragged the tree away
through the empty fields
I sit on the horse-shoe stump
my teeth fall out
I'll plant my teeth

Translated by Laima Vincë