INSTEAD OF SONNETS OR OCTAVES
by Pavlo Tychyna, 1920

Rhythm

When two slender girls walk by -- with red poppies
                                                             in their hair --
-- somewhere far off! young planets!

Flow. Stream. Atoms of weariness -- to Earth,
            to light, out of darkness. Dance up a dust storm...
                                                             Suns

form a circle. And from them wisps float off
throughout the universe.

Two girls.

Antistrophe

She poured the hungry children some milk, -- sat down
                                                       and lost her way in thought...

On the pitcher, two tears rolled down, as if from blind eyes.
One quickly, ahead. The other,
            hesitant,
            following the first,
           in its tracks...

Two girls.

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