marcin's room Poem by Jakobe Mansztajn

you can't help marcin, even if you bring him preserves,
warm up the raspberry compote, spoon feed him. even
if you fluff marcin's pillows, smooth down marcin's sheets,
you will not satiate the things consuming the boy's body,

pinned now to the bed, pinned to so many beds already.
marcin's witnesses and marcin, eye witness to things,
are all as one perfectly sick of all these pleasantries,
sick of their own concerns and sick of this placecalm

Translated by Marek Kazmierski