Edward Stachura - Życie to nie teatr

You keep telling me that life is a theater.
We wear many masks to disguise us .
It is all for show, it is all a game,
In front or behind the curtain- it is a show!

I reply to you - life is not a theater.
Life is not only a colorful masquerade.
Life is terrifying, but it is even more beautiful.
Everything pales compared to life, even death.
You and me- we are on two stages.
You and me.

You - you never shed a real tear
At most you raise your brow
Even when you are low it is not bad
Because you are acting!

Me - I am built from wounds.
I carry my fear with me at all times.
But I am not crippled, you are!
Because you are acting!

Today the artists meet for a banquet
And you have plans to attend.
There will be many guests- an unapproachable crowd.
Flirting and drinking and maybe even dancing.
The open door will close. And that’s it!

I will drop in for a while, before the atmosphere turns sour.
I will drink two shots of vodka
And then quietly collect myself
I will come out to the street and dunk my head in the fountain.
I will come out under the open sky and create the most marvelous poem.
You and me- we are on two stages.
You and me.

You - you never shed a real tear.
At most you raise your brow
And your laugh is not contagious at all
Because you are acting!

Me - I am built from wounds.
I carry my fear with me at all times.
But when I laugh, the world around me laughs too.
The whole world!

I am built from wounds…