A Letter to My Younger Self by Jan Karski

A LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF

Karski in 1981 © Carol Harrison

Washington 23 September 1999 Mr. Jan Kozielewski 15 Ogrodowa Street 91-065 Lodz

My friend . . .

After all these years, I can now write to you again at an address in Lodz. I never imagined this would happen . . .

You have gone back, back to where you came from. To the city of your happy and crazy youth.

What has been happening to you, man, since that day in August 1931, when you got on the train at Lodz Fabryczna station? Where did it take you?

I had no desire for Warsaw, When I was leaving Lodz. Rotten twilight glided across the fields, The train dragged itself like a funeral through the fog

Warsaw, Vilnius, Lvov, Krakow... Paris, London, Washington, New York, Caracas, Washington ...

Tuwim was right, wasn’t he? I’m going to see you. The address I’m writing to is to be valid from 1 October 1999. Maybe, the letter will come in time? Perhaps we will recognize each other after all these years?

Yours (?) —Letter Jan Karski wrote to himself and sent to the address of the Museum of the City of Łódź.