“It seems to me I’m resurrected”
Leonid Martynov
1905-1980 Russian
translated by J.R. Rowland

It seems to me I’m resurrected.
I lived. My name was Hercules.
Then, I weighed at least a ton.
Roots and all I tore up trees,
Stretched my hand and touched the skies.
When I sat down I broke the chairs.
I died. And now I’m resurrected:
Normal height and normal size
Like other people. Kind and gay,
When I sit down I don’t break chairs.
But all the same, I’m Hercules.