Madara Gruntmane-Dujana

NARCOSES
1992
 
She crouches down outside the “Poppy” café
Through the blurry window, chickens on a spit can be seen
turning meditatively
Mum, I really can’t walk anymore
An hour later, a smiling surgeon paws her stomach
His eyes are blue lakes
Here’s a little laughing gas: now you won’t be so frightened
I’m not going to die
A huge black whirlpool pulls her in
Four hours later, she remembers her name
She’s eleven years old
A night of brutal pain
Liquid pouring soundlessly out of the catheter
Old women groaning all around her
She’s in the adults’ ward
She has been in the adults’ ward for some time now
The hospital is becoming more real than home
At the hospital, no one listens behind the door while she pees
At the hospital, only women touch her bottom
When she gets home, she cries

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Madara Gruntmane-Dujana (poet, artist, pianist) was born in Liepaja, Latvia in 1981. Since 2015 she has participated in several workshops, poetry readings and international organizations including Iowa University’s International Writing Program, Davenport FIGGE Art Museum Reading, Iowa City Book Festival and various poetry festivals in Europe such as Berlin Poetry festival, Poets in Transylvania, International Poetry Festival Transpoésie in Brussels, International Poetry Festival in Birmingham, London Book Fair, Cretes poetry festival, Istanbul poetry festival and others. She published three poetry collections Aizmīlestība (Afterlove. Riga: Neputns, 2022), Dzērājmeitiņa (Drunk Daddy's Girl. Riga: Neputns, 2018) and Narkozes (Narcoses. Riga: Neputns, 2015). Her books have been published in UK, Turkey and Mexico. Her poetry videos were exhibited in Riga Art Space, Tallinn Art hall, Kommagene Bienal in Turkey and Video poetry festival in Athens. Having Art Academy of Latvia program's POST interdisciplinary master’s degree which is based on ideas of art in context.

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