Monday, April 14, 2014

"Translations of my Postcards" by Michael Ondaatje

In honor of National Poetry Month, here is "Translations of my Postcards" by Michael Ondaatje.


Translations of my Postcards

the peacock means order
the fighting kangaroos mean madness
the oasis means I have struck water

positioning of the stamp — the despot’s head
horizontal, or ‘mounted policemen’,
mean political danger

the false date means I
am not where I should be

when I speak of the weather
I mean business

a blank postcard says
I am in the wilderness

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