All of a sudden she could see After an intricate operation performed in a hurry More in line with committing criminal poetry ... A long time she had listened to dozens of books Her empty eyes Staring upwards But When she danced with Lama On the hillside, He told her that the soul can transcend earthly life If freed from the retina. ... She was illiterate The pain on her face While in trance Spoilt the text The pen bent Before completing the story. ... No way of return, now Knowledge is coming And ignorance is A lost paradise ... Therefore, The thought of a drained memory Stayed with her Whenever her eye tried to see. Silently She poured out two shadows standing In a breathless, dark hall, Prepared for tea, At the end of the show. ... Two shadows, One a lighting technician And the other Did his utmost to read But Utterly stunned Could not complete the lesson. ... Reading does not require eyes So much was certain When she suddenly regained sight But did not find books. __________ Translated by Kees Nijland