Vasyl Lozynsky

Two poems translated from the Ukrainian by Jessica Zychowicz & Cecilia Woloch
October 27, 2025 Lozynsky Vasyl

Two poems by Vasyl Lozynsky translated from the Ukrainian by Jessica Zychowicz  & Cecilia Woloch

(untitled)

 

As I was exiting with the baby stroller
a bookshop in Edmonton, Western Canada,
where you could only pick up books you’d purchased online,
a TV reporter and cameraman approached me
and asked if I would answer
a question about the pandemic.
“I’m not from here,” I said,
and kept going.

 

 

Виходячи з дитячим візком

 

у Едмонтоні, Західній Канаді,
з книжкового, де можна тільки забирати
куплені онлайн книжки
тележурналіст та оператор підійшли
і звернулись до мене, чи можуть
задати питання про пандемію.
«Я не місцевий», – відповів я
і пішов далі.

 

 

ON/OFF

 

I am reading at the speed of light
I am reading at the speed of light
in my dream
I am reading a newspaper
about and for myself
speaking in a dream
to you
on TV the latest news
no image in the dark
only the ON/OFF button glimmering
— only a pixel on the screen extinguished completely
by a touch

 

 

ON/OFF

 

читаю зі швидкістю світла
читаю зі швидкістю світла
читаю уві сні газету
про себе
говорю у ві сні
до тебе
по телевізору останні новини
без зображення в темряві
жевріє лише кнопка ON/OFF
– це лише піксель в екрані, який погасає остаточно
після дотику

Vasyl Lozynsky is a poet, essayist, translator and literary critic, born in Lviv, Ukraine, and based in the USA and Poland. His publications include several collections of poetry in Ukrainian. His poems have also been published in translation from Ukrainian into English, German, Polish, Russian, Latvian and Swedish and in original German language. His work has been featured in English-language magazines such as Hawai’i Review, Trafika Europe and The Common. His chapbook in English Maidan After Hours (transl. by Ostap Kin and Ali Kinsella) was released by Hawai’i Review in 2019. He has been awarded writer’s residencies in New York and Europe.