Constantine Cavafy

The Bandage

Translated from the Greek by Evan Jones

He said that he'd stumbled into a wall or fallen.But likely the cut on his shoulderwas caused by something more serious.He stood up abruptly, reaching for somephotographs on a high shelfthat he wanted to hold. The bandageloosened and the cut opened.I dressed his shoulder again, but was slowin finishing, because it caused him no painand because I liked to look at his blood. That bloodwas the source of my longing for him.When he left, I found at the footof his chair a bloodied cloth, cotton,a cloth that looked ready for the rubbish binand that I took to my lipsand held there for a long time —the blood of longing on my lips.May 1919 (Hidden)