"Essay on Lithuanian Literature" by Eugenius Ališanka

For a couple of years ago I translated into Ukrainian (from Swedish, since I don’t know Lithuanian–-alas!) a poem by the Lithuanian poet Eugenius Ališanka. For me, he is one of those damn good Baltic contemporary poets: ironic and tragic, deep and precise, intelligent and sensitive. Recently I found on the web a whole page with Ališanka's poems translated into English. And the poem I translated is also there:


EUGENIUS ALIŠANKA
ESSAY ON LITHUANIAN LITERATURE


less and less am I able to answer the question why I write
sometimes it seems: in order to write
sometimes I see the light
less and less the interest in poetry (not to mention prose)
sometimes it seems: I read in order to forget
sometimes it seems: I am behind this involuntary play of words 
more and more I force myself to be with lithuanian poets
sometimes the poets are hearty and tortuous like in russian poetry
sometimes drunken and aggressive like in rap
sometimes barely there like me 
more modestly I think about lithuanian poetry
sometimes I remember only a few names: vytautas alfonsas sigitas 
sometimes I say: poetry can teach art not life
sometimes I ask: does life care for poetry like celan 
sometimes I am silent: this ignorance will bring trouble upon me 

Translated by Kerry Shawn Keys