Response to Wislawa Szymborska’s “Receiver”

sayer

i awake in my sleep
to call someone
i do not know

i do not remember how
or where or why
or who

but i call
and someone
picks

only
he was muffled
like a mass of wool
was buried
inside his mouth
and each pull
each word
came with a piece
of his intestine
such language
of pain
he spoke

i awake in my sleep
another day
and another day
and on everyday
and every time

it’s the same person
the same language
and what is left
of his pain
of my pain
of everything
he would have said
or not said
or didn’t say

i awake in my sleep
another day
and i call
and
he
still
picks

leonell echa