Read Poetry: (I have searched…), by Mariam Tsiklauri

Translated from Georgian into English by Manana Matiashvili 

 

I have searched everything everywhere:

The sun is here, the earth is here, the winds are blowing…

All the words,

All the ideas are present,

All images, masks and toys we used,

All bits of bread that were eaten

Or thrown to birds;

All the trees under the shadows of which

Our rocking cradles stood;

All the voices we heard in songs

And in frightening spells at night…

Here are all the saints in the names of which

For safety we were wrapped.

But so many things are still missing –

Including original copies of our selves,

And grass of immortality,

And bread of life,

And fear of God,

And laws of heart,

And the ways to unseen houses too, –

Seems intercellular space has expired

From the entire body of universe…

Everything exists for its own sake,

Not for others, 

Not for…