Marius Burokas

Skalbykla

Language: lithuanian

Translations: english (Laundromat), german (Wäscherei)

Skalbykla

Tiek šviesiaplaukių mergaičių
lankstančių apatinius drabužėlius
skalbimo mašinų gaudesys
neonas
TV žinios

Vogčiomis žiūriu į jas
atliekančias apeigas
pintinės pilnos apatinių
kvepiančių skalbimu
kvepiančių kūnu

Tokios rimtos
tokios gražios
ir užsimiršusios mergaitės
manęs nepažįstančios mergaitės
pasilenkusios ties kupinomis pintinėmis

Svetima kalba
svetimi kūnai
svetimas aš

paskubomis grūdantis
savo drapanas
į skalbyklės gerklę

Suspausta krūtine
Vienišas
visiškai nuogas
lietuvių poetas

Marius Burokas

photo © Evgenija Levin

* 30.04.1977, Vilnius, Lithuania
lives in: Vilnius, Lithuania

Marius Burokas (b. 1977), poet and translator, has studied Lithuanian language and literature at VilniusUniversity. He has worked as a Lithuanian language teacher, has served as project editor for a public relations agency, has worked in advertising agency and has coordinated literary programs at the Eastern Lithuanian Cultural Centre. Now he is a freelance writer, translator and also writes for culture newspapers, does book reviews for “IQ Intelligent Life” magazine and National radio (LRT). Now he is an editor-in-chief of online magazine of Lithuanian literature “Vilnius review”.

photo © Evgenija Levin

Marius made his debut with the poetry collection Ideograms (Ideogramos) in 1999. His second book of poetry, States of Being (Būsenos), appeared in 2005. His third book – I‘ve Learned Not To Be (Išmokau nebūti) was published in 2011. His third book was awarded “The Young Yotvingian prize” as a best young poet’s book, published in two years. This book was also awarded Antanas Miškinis literary prize. His fourth poetry book of clean life (švaraus buvimo) was published in April 2018 and was awarded Poetry Spring-Maironis prize for the best poetry book.

His selected poetry book in English “Now I Understand” was published by “Parthian Books” in 2018. His poetry book in Ukrainian „Найменші речі“ was also published last year.

He is a compiler and editor in chief of Lithuanian contemporary poetry anthology How the Earth Carries Us – New Lithuanian Poets (published by Lithuanian Culture Institute).

His poetry has been translated into Polish, Russian, Latvian, Finnish, Slovenian, English, German, French, Georgian and Ukrainian. Some of his poetry is also published in “New European Poets” anthology (“Greywolf Press”, 2008), “Washington Review”, “Saint-Petersburg Review” etc.

Marius Burokas translated poetry of American, Canadian, Australian poets and others (Charles Simic, Walter S. Merwin, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Robinson Jeffers, Robert Bly, James Dickey, William Carlos Williams, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Hilda Doolittle (H.D.), Alan Dugan, Al Purdy, Charles Bukowski, David Malouf, Ted Hughes). He is also a compiler and one of the translators of Allen Ginsberg poetry selection “Howl, Kaddish and Other Poems” (2011). He has translated prose of James G. Ballard, Woody Allen, Sherman Alexie, Hunter S. Thompson, Charles Bukowski, Philip Roth, John Updike, Jeanette Winterson and others.

In 2001 he participated in International Writing Program in Iowa. Marius is a Lithuanian Writers’ Union member since 2007 and the member of Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators since 2013.

He lives in Vilnius. E-mail: m.burokas.mb@gmail.com

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