[The living will not understand the dead] Poem by Tadeusz Dąbrowski

The living will not understand the dead the dead will understand
the living and his lack of understanding.

The living so firmly doesn't believe in heaven that if
he were offered the choice of eternally sitting in an armchair

compelled to stare at a screen from which
he would stare at himself staring - he would go

for it. Or if heaven were going to be small but
safe like a coffin he'd agree to that too. If

the dead wanted to tell the living
what it's really like he'd have to

keep silent.

Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones