TANJA AJTIC

 

 

The Universe And Existence

 

We are not alone in the universe.

Many archaeological sites

tell us so. Prehistory.

And even before that, from the very beginning.

So much is still

undiscovered, a secret.

We are not alone in the universe, and

maybe the explosion that created the planet

didn't happen the way we think

or the way we're taught.

We are the explosion within ourselves, and it's time

for us to burst—burst from everything.

We exist, but maybe

a Matrix surrounds us, or maybe

there's a dimension invisible to us

right in front of our eyes, but we cannot see it.

The universe—a mystery without end and without beginning—

forever remains undiscovered to us.

Maybe we are destined never to learn

the truth, because we wouldn’t understand it,

maybe we wouldn’t accept it.

That’s certain.

We are unprepared for any beginning

of knowledge about the world or ourselves.

How did we come to be? Where did we come from?

They didn’t prepare us, they didn’t teach us.

We are not alone in the universe, it is true,

but the truth is hidden from us.

We are on the verge of an explosion,

of everything falling apart… because we are a target,

we are all targets

of an invisible enemy who maybe

is not even human, but a myth from legend or

mythology.

We are left forever with questions

that have no answers, because

those who know more have judged it so.

The universe—we are not alone—we feel it

instinctively and intuitively, but we must not

say it… because we are the target group,

because we are human, because we are Earthlings,

and that, it seems, is not forgiven.

 

Watercolor Painting

 

You are painting and you have already washed everything

with water so that the colors are in such layers

and you are careful with the shades.

It's all in the shades, you say.

That's how you are in life,

 you don't express yourself quickly about something

and you use all kinds of excuses to avoid

or kept your opinion silent.

It's all in the shades.

When, very rarely, you have a guiding thought

a certain musical theme is heard throughout the world

which aims to characterize you,

as a person or an event related to you,

which is always repeated when appearing on

stage you as a hero and in memory of that particular event.

It is so important to tell the world what you think,

without hesitation.

You are not a man inexperienced

in the art or your art of silence

you are not a layman, you know a lot.

You recognize the shades of life in the world.

You sometimes feel like

a man running with a burning torch

and you think everyone sees it like

at the opening of the Olympic Games.

And only you see the hot and liquid mass

that volcanoes throw out

which flows from them and which,

when cooled, hardens like stone

painting his washed-out pictures in shades.

And you won't even admit to yourself

that you felt the eruption of the world

still silent.

In its shades…

Yes, you felt the avalanche

powerful mass, as a contrast,

that destroys everything in front of it.

That you felt both hot and cold.

 

TANJA AJTIC

 

TANJA AJTIC was born in Belgrade, Serbia. She lived and studied in Serbia at the Faculty of Philology-Department of Serbian Language and Literature. She is a poet and writer but she is also an artist. She also deals with fine graphics in the linocut technique. Since 2002, she lives and creates in Canada. Moved to Belgrade, Serbia in summer 2023. Tanja Ajtic is a member of many groups and associations. In Serbia, she is a member of the prestigious Society of Writers of Belgrade. Her poems and stories have been published two hundred collections (books), anthologies, electronic books and magazines. Her poems have been published in English, Serbian, Chinese, Croatian, Iraqi, Bengali, Indian, Bulgarian, Tunisian, Arabic and Spanish. In the spring of 2018, at the "Pegasus" competition of the Literary Youth of Serbia, Belgrade, she won the award for printing the first book of poetry "Outlines of Love". Her book was exhibited at the Book Fair in 2018 in Belgrade, as well as at the Book Salon in Toronto in 2019. - She is represented in the Anthology among the 30 best writers for 2020 by the Association of Writers of Australia (USUA). She won first place, the award of authors from abroad in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2020), Canton of Tuzla. She won second prize in Great Britain from the Serbian Library in London (2019). The winner's book was published and was exhibited at the Mini Book Fair in London (2020). She participated with books and anthologies at many fairs in the world with other authors.- She won III World Prize for Excellence "Cesar Vallejo" 2021 in the category of artistic excellence Lima, Peru, by the World Spanish Union of Writers and International Award of Excellence; from the World Spanish Union of Writers, UHE Mexico. - Received the prestigious UHE Platinum Eagle Award, PLATINUM EAGLE AWARD, invitation to Mexico, Oaxaca, to present the award; I premio mundial a la excelencia "El aguila platino 2022" Union hispanomundial de escritores (UHE), Mil mentes por Mexico internacioanl (MMMEX), Academia Mundial de literatura, historia, arte y cultura; November 30, 2022.- She won the I International Award of Excellence "Cita Del Glateo" Antonio De Ferrariis, IX edition 2022 – Rome, Italy, a prestigious award in the group of poets for the English language (IX edition of the award for foreign poetry in English) in 2022, Rome, Italy. - Winners of Foundation Naji Naaman literary prize iz 2023; (21st Edition), from the Republic of Lebanon, Honor Prize (for complete work) for Literary prizes 2023. Poetry for the competition was submitted in three languages: English, French and Arabic.- Winning the 2023 “Zheng Nian Cup” Literary Award – Third Prize by the Beijing Mindfulness Literature Museum, China. - She is the winner of many awards, diplomas and certificate. She is currently writing poetry, short stories, haiku, gogyoshi poetry as well as graphics artist as a freelance artist.