On the eastern shore of #Kórnik Lake, there's a promenade...

On the eastern shore of #Kórnik Lake, there's a promenade dedicated to Wisława #Szymborska, the poet born in these parts. There, you can find some of her poems pinned to a fence, but also a bench dedicated to her. It includes a part of her poem, illustrated with a #cat figure.

"""
(…)
Here someone was and was,
then suddenly disappeared
and now is stubbornly absent.
All the closets were peered into.
The shelves were walked through.
The rug was lifted and examined.
Even the rule about not scattering
papers was violated.
What more is to be done?
Sleep and wait.

Let him return,
at least make a token appearance.
Then he'll learn
that one shouldn't treat a cat like this.
He will be approached
as though unwillingly,
slowly,
on very offended paws.
With no spontaneous leaps or squeals at first.
"""
(Wisława Szymborska, A Cat in an Empty Apartment, translated by Walter Whipple, https://www.babelmatrix.org/works/pl/Szymborska%2C_Wis%C5%82awa-1923/Kot_w_pustym_mieszkaniu/en/1433-A_Cat_in_an_Empty_Apartment)

https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3066107653#map=16/52.23966/17.09016

#park #statue #hiking #poetry

A bench with two figures in a park, standing on a circular paved area.

To the left, a figure of a smiling old lady. The joy is visible both in her smile and her eyes. Her face is wrinkled. She's wearing a narrow-brimmed hat and a long mantle, buttoned all the way up except for the top-most button. There, the flaps are bent to sides, and a scarf is visible inside it. She's wearing simple, mid-height shoes. She is leaning on the bench with her left hand, with her right hand bent behind her back.

On the right end of the bench, there's a figure of a cat sitting on two crossed pieces of paper. I will describe it on the other photograph. The lady is looking at it.

On both sides of the bench, there are two large begonia plants. They have big green and yellowish green leaves, and big rose-colored flowers. In the back, there are trees with monochromatic photographs of women of various age. On a central tree, there's a plate carrying a large title of "100/100", and some small text below. Behind them, grass, then another row of trees just in front of a lake. Behind them, some high grass and the lake.

A close-up of the cat figure. It's sitting with its back to the observer, but its head is turned towards them. It seems to have a sad look on its face. The eyes seem closed, ears pointy, there are slight suggestions of whiskers carved into the face. The paws are all in the front of it (i.e. back of the figure). The tail is curved along the back, in clockwise direction. The head and a distinct suggestion of spine on its back are tinted gold.

Below the cat, there are carved three sheets of paper, crossing one another. On them, fragments of the poem cited in the main text. On the left sheet the beginning, on the right sheet the end with name of the author.

Like 20 August at 15:33 | Open on social.treehouse.systems