Wladyslaw Szlengel, eng. by Halina Birenbaum A talk with a child Thousand nine hundred two Mother and child. workshop – bloc… The child has a lilac face, Mother ‘s hair are white like milk, tell, me mother – asks the youngster – what means: afar Afar means behind the mountains behind forests and rivers… Afar means rails… Afar means sea journeys, ships and livid spaces, and mountains in the purple of sun… Afar means gold islands and winds smelling blasts that some juicy green (herbs?) and soft dry sand . But how explain to a child, what means the word: afar.. when he does not know what is a mountain, and does not know what we are calling river… and he has not like mother… and has not like me the pictures under the eyelid, then how explain to a child, what means the word: afar. Afar – bellowed child (and a tear waves on the eye-lashes) afar means from our bloc till to bloc of Toebens… And say, beloved mother what means: long ago… Long ago that is a city-evening shining lamps, neon lights that a silent peacefulness in apartment and a well heated oven… Long ago – that are cakes from (confectioner ‘s) Ziemianska long ago that a dinner nearby the radio long ago that – in the morning the newspaper “Nasz Przeglad”, and in the evening cinema Palladium. Long ago - means a month upon the sea, long ago - means pictures from excursion and weeding pictures with a veil and white bread without chaff… But how explain to a child this past bright and famous when nothing… jet he knows nothing.. how explain: long ago… You see, beloved child old and sad in your youth, long ago – means, when a long time… they did not assigned to us honey… And say me, mother, say what do I heir at the nights… a long… far … whistle what is so whistling and what for… How explain to a child, which example or reason to take for explain the nightly, far whistles of locomotives… how to explain rails and a long way into boundlessness, the joy of traveling in the sleeping and in mad expresses. Railways stations, signs, switches, new cities, streets, tickets, passages, luggage currier, refreshment rooms, carrier. sparkle of glimmerings lights at night and the lilac traces of smoke. How explain… and what for, that somehow afar there is a world?... This world means – little boy, who twisted your little hands with sadness, that it can be further then Toebens… and more further then honey… * * In the Warsaw Ghetto they assigned from time to time portion of artificial honey…
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 05:13:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015