Knuts Skujenieks Poems

When people shall read this bitter intertwining
these words not called nor begged for
and think of what created them
whom will they reflect more? You or me?
when people shall think of a soul so lonely
who even powerless can light up a sunbeam
should they say fine the world still has sunbeams
will they know what feeds the sunbeam?
I myself don't know my beloved
you the distant hollow sound of a bell
I don't know but I sense you
and send another line on paper
you tremble like air from the flutter of wings
over my hopes and my sadness
we may separate like low clouds
but we don't wake cold and estranged
for others we may deny each other
but we don't pass each other by
we may be bitter about life's betrayal
but we're chained not only by love
from common refuse we burn the same fire
from a common spiritual fibre
if you should tire know that people will read
again and again ask for the sunbeam
and intertwined we are related
I sing of you while you lead me
your breath in each letter
half of it me

Translated by: Margita Gailītis. Latvian literature. Latvijas Literatūras centrs
...

A cherry-tree trying to cover
Its very last berry -
That is me watching over
My ragged shirt's single button.
...

I'm not conquerable I'm not destroyable in the open
Field trampled cursed and spat on
Don't look at my bones that ever slower
...

This story is short.
They broke the hands
Of the pianist.
...

From the centre from silence
From the very core
May it reach you and sink
In the deepest sense
...

How many sunrises can a human bear
If his heart floods each morning
If eternally the sun rises red
And never fades?
...

This is the last barricade, firing line, red zone.
Across it
We no longer shall stand hand in hand
Neither friend nor deputy nor drinking pal.
...

Don't search for the world's guilt
Don't expect the bloody comet
The comet won't help us
Friends will still be destroyed
...

With both feet planted into the horizon
A red rider wanders
Visibly ages
Fades faster than a flower
...

Clear-eyed kitten
from the kingdom of tom-cats
when you climb on my shoulder
then I know I am
a needed man
...