A Secret Life

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The verses of the fifth collection by poet and translator Milan Děžinský present the author at a time when "our life is halfway through its journey." Děžinský is acutely aware that the ability to write is a necessary condition for creation, but far more essential for a poet is the capacity to see. He approaches this gift and its development with great responsibility, maintaining a lively dialogue with the demanding context of Anglo-American poetry. This may be why Milan Děžinský is one of the few Czech poets who can think deeply while still navigating the exalted realm of poetry. His "A Secret Life" is a powerful collection, a series of moments frozen in the harsh light of sudden and not always joyful realizations. "The idea that some secret life truly exists is quite terrifying. Shadows would dress for the night and venture out into the rain. While sleepers experience dreams, they sneak out to the lamps under their coats completely naked. Perhaps this is part of the plan — all those masking maneuvers, obligations, intoxications, and sex, for a secret life can unfold even in piercing light…"