I told him about Jade. told him about the songs my mother taught me in Polish, the ones I used to know but I'd forgotten. didn't write anything about my job. Let him think what he wanted to think. wasn't lying.
The first poem he sent me was about a bird in a coal mine. He sent me the English translation. This bird flew down the main shaft and got lost in the tunnels underground. then it sang and sang until it died. Everyone heard it singing, but no one could find it. I liked that poem. It made me think maybe I'd been missing something, because I hadn't read any poetry since I eft school, l wrote back, 'Send me the Polish, just so I can see it When the Polish came l tried it over in my head. It sounded a bit like the rhymes my mother used to sing.