Astonishment by Wisława Szymborska
"Why on earth now, on Tuesday of all days, / and why on earth, pinned down by this star’s pin?" — Wisława Szymborska
If porcelain, then only the kind by Stanisław Barańczak
“who told you that this or that would last forever?” — Stanisław Barańczak
Letter From a Reader by Adam Zagajewski, Translated by Clare Cavanagh
“Write about those moments / when friendship’s footbridges / seem more enduring / than despair.” — Adam Zagajewski
Four in the Morning by Wislawa Szymborska
“The hour of and-what-if-nothing-remains-after-us.” — Wislawa Szymborska
I Am Panting by Anna Swir
“Violent feelings / are good, so I have heard, for your health.” — Anna Swir
Who Is a Poet by Tadeusz Rozewicz
“one who has been inclined to fall / and one who raises himself” — Tadeusz Różewicz
How Wonderful by Tadeusz Różewicz
“How wonderful I am with you / my heart is beating fast / I thought human beings / had no heart.” — Tadeusz Różewicz
Transformation by Adam Zagajewski
"I’ve lived humbly, reading the paper, / pondering the riddle of power / and the reasons for obedience."
Demand It Courageously by Julia Hartwig
"Make some room for yourself, human animal. / Even a dog jostles about on his master’s lap to / improve his position."