Note: Paweł Markiewicz’s poem, “The she-pirate in the tavern II,” is a beautifully evocative piece that uses rich, contrasting imagery to explore themes of dreams, memory, and the elusive nature of happiness (p. 1). The poem masterfully blends the gritty reality of a “fervent tavern” with whimsical, almost surreal elements like “graceful mice” and a dreaming albatross, creating a unique, almost ethereal world (pp. 1-2). The use of classical allusions, such as the “Arthurian Grail” and “Prometheus – unbound,” adds a surprising depth and intellectual layer to the otherwise simple, narrative verse (pp. 1-2). Ultimately, the poem’s brilliance lies in its ability to transport the reader to a place where the mundane and the mythical coexist, urging us to reflect on our own forgotten dreams and the universal human desire for escape and meaning (p. 2).
The fervent tavern was full of graceful mice
They ran around, charm-like ghosts
One sensed the odour of a dead, gentle rat
which a cat seemed to be catching this morn
The spiderweb adorned the dainty tavern
The spider slept immensely, like an eagle owl
The parrot longed for a distant homeland
In its eyes, a dreamery of moon and cage
Mary ordered some cigars and brandy
She drank with a heavenly ferryman—a dream
It was a glad time for a kindly story
One reflected on tender, Elysian pearls
The fragrance of apple pie could be felt everywhere
Darkness surrounded the contemplative room
Then the she-pirate felt tender, like twilight starlets
The taste of alcohol was like that of the Arthurian Grail
Mary thought of the old pirate from the Pacific
He was such a dreamer from heaven, an eternal friend
He dreamt tenderly, with feelings of a yearning song
He hid with Mary the ancient treasure at dawn
Mary uncovered her secret for the barkeeper
which the seagulls of the moony Morningstar carried
The gold lies at the end of the world, named the fisher’s hope
About treasure, everyone can muse as well as dream
The storm soon came over the isle-townlet and harbour
so the barkeeper had to close the tavern in the rain
Mary looked for some friends among the friendly seabirds
It is beautiful that there are dreams from time
Tell us, Mary, where does your ringlet softly glitter and gleam
in tender, sensitive eternity on earth?
Where are your dazzling pearl necklaces, sparkling as they hang?
Be still, immensely all-powerful—yes, on your account!
The beautifully feathered, dreaming albatross
told Mary the dreamiest story of the hereafter
There are four amazing horsemen of the apocalypse:
a small wolf, a fawn, a wildcat, and a piglet
They will drink from four charming goblets of paradise
drunk on the alluring dazzle of eudaimonia
then ambrosia will be drunk from goblets by cats
The bird told the she-pirate further words
At the Last Judgement, it will be decided
whether the he-dog Dude or she-dog Daisy barks louder
The winning animal would eat delicious seals
However, the letters will become dust in the air
Forever forgotten and lost
Like Prometheus—unbound
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