żertwy

In poem after poem in Antonina Tosiek’s splendid second volume, burnt offerings, we witness what it takes to care for another human being – in this case the poet’s ill relatives – with a plethora of thoughts, feelings and emotions, both identified and latent, taking centre stage. Employing archetypal and mythological characters, Tosiek also uncovers the role that caregivers play within the web of patriarchal and healthcare injustices at the heart of contemporary Poland.

This example of speaking truth to power is reflected in Tosiek’s variegated tone and diction. In turn biting, sarcastic, even, but also loving and comforting, the language of these poems is often fragmented, suggesting that the poet aims not only to look beneath the surface of things, but to descend deep into the vortex of systemic violence in which she and her characters, including her relatives, are ensnared. What is ultimately most fascinating about this project is the balance it maintains between becoming a lament and an angry screech without succumbing to either of the two extremes. Politics, economics, sociology, gender roles – it’s all here, but Tosiek’s engagement with these subjects doesn’t diminish her art, but rather strengthens it and, ultimately, expands its reach so that the public becomes private, and the private public.