Passport

—after Ilya Kaminsky

A country of origin in a grandmother’s jewelry box. Old and ornate, baubles heavy on the lobe. The city is built in spires. My ears are not pierced.

Orientation: Promiňte, kde je metrem? Straight, then to the right. A kde jsou moji duchové? Saving you a seat on the train.

Legacy: Blood is fractal as opposed to fractional. Bronzed branches on autumnal oaks are not ¼ alchemists.

Translation: If you are in Old Town, you are in Old Town. If you walk across a bridge, you are in Malá Strana. What is the latitude of your language now?

Threshold: (See also: pain.) The point at which this vision begins to take on properties of the nightmare. He broke his sandal on the doorframe. Look for the detached leather strap round his foot as he toils in the field and call him king. Libuše loosened into myth. You do not yet know you do not come from here.

Pronunciation: A háček is the difference between halve and have.