OPA OCTOBER 2022

 

A

WORLDWIDE WRITERS’ WEB

PRESENTATION!

 

PUBLISHED BY

 

OPA

 

OUR

POETRY ARCHIVE

ONLINE MONTHLY POETRY JOURNAL

https://ourpoetryarchive.blogspot.com

email us to:

ourpoetryarchive@gmail.com

**************************************

INTERVIEW OF XANTHI HONDROU-HILL

 

NilavroNill Shoovro

Talking With Poet

Xanthi Hondrou-Hill

OCTOBER 2022

NILAVRONILL: Why do literature and poetry in particular interest you so much? Please give us some idea about your own perception of literature or poetry in general.

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: They are both parts of artistic expression and as such art themselves. Poetry in particular presents the feelings in a unique way. In ancient times, poetry used to be the highest form of expression. In some villages in Greece, they still speak in form of poems with 15 syllables, rhythm and rhyme. The poet was considered as close to God as someone could be, as he or she was dipping in creation itself in order to create. I am a perfectionist in matters of poetry. I want my poems to be able to stand on their own, without the need of me explaining them. The poet is his word! This is my perception of every poem written. We express in the poem the deepest feelings, the darkest secrets, the purest thoughts.

NILAVRONILL: How do you relate your own self-existence with your literary life in one hand, and the time around you, in the other?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: I always wrote poetry. From my early childhood, which I spent with my grandmother in Greece, I remember making up verses and little songs. She would encourage that by reading me every morning a little poem from the calendar. When I went to live with my parents, I was slow at the reading, as I learned two languages at the same time and that was very hard for me for a very long time. Trying to make sense of the world I started writing a diary in English in my early teenage years. The first poems came at the age of 15 when I was invited to contribute to the “HOUSE of Writers” in Stuttgart. My parents didn’t allow it, as they were very strict. Ten years later I met Johanes Poethen again in a life event and he invited me there and then to participate again. I took part in the poetic workshop, in readings and presentations and a year later one of my poems got published in the yearly anthology! Invitations to readings and interviews in big newspapers followed. As I changed countries at the age of 34 and went to live in Greece, things became quiet, as I had to adjust again to a country I knew just from childhood, and I had to learn again. Greek, my native language seemed different from what I knew... I spent the past 20 years with my children. I devoted my whole time to them, to help with the homework and with their needs in education. Now, that my son is an adult and my daughter doesn’t need my help, I have the time to turn again to my beloved poetry, which never really left me! My poems went around the world during pandemic, when I was looking to talk to other poets over the internet during lockdown.

NILAVRONILL: Do you believe creative souls flourish more in turmoil than in peace?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: It depends on what gives each person more inspiration. There are great writers who thrive in problems, as poetry tends to take away the pain of people, and there are others who love peaceful moments. The trend of what people like also changes in different times. There was a period when rhythm and rhyme were out, now I find that poets find a new way to work with these elements. Most peace poems are written in times of war! People always search for what they don’t have.

NILAVRONILL: Do you think in this age of information and technology the dimensions of literature have been largely extended beyond our preconceived ideas about literature in general?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: I do! Especially during COVID restrictions I felt that poets were looking for fellow souls to talk to. This is how I met most of my friends, which I have all around the world now. The exchange of opinions and the possibilities to connect beyond countries and time zones is just amazing! I think that digital meetings will still be a great option for internet poetry festivals, even after travel will be permitted again. It is great, because it could be also a kind of training ground for our own abilities and perspectives.

 

NILAVRONILL: Now, in this changing scenario we would like to know from your own life experiences as a poet, writer and a creative soul: How do you respond to this present time?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: I think that there was never so much exchange as in present days. For me that is a good signal, because despite the differences we can find common characteristics amongst ourselves, and we can inspire one another, in a peaceful way! I think that the poets of the world can contribute the most to    peace on this earth, with their understanding and insight, beyond political boundaries and borders or economic restrictions. I have contributed to anthologies around the world, which were digital and free of charge and read the work of so many great poets and writers which would not be possible under other circumstances. We communicate with digital means for free, which is such a blessing in these days. I remember just 20 years ago astronomical phone bills, which made calling even my parents from abroad difficult. This is why I find that this time exciting and full of great opportunities to get in touch with our dreams and pursue them.

NILAVRONILL: Do you believe that all writers are by and large the product of their nationality? And is this an incentive for or an obstacle against becoming a truly international writer?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: I have seen great poets in many nationalities! But, what makes an international poet in my opinion, is the insight to look beyond your own borders and limitations. The need to be understood in a simple way everywhere in the world. And the digital meetings and festivals did a wonderful job in achieving this. The next step would be to actually see who are the largest communities of languages and in which of them is poetry a key component. The English Language is here just a stepping stone into the world, as there are huge communities who love poetry in China, or in Spanish speaking countries.

NILAVRONILL: Now, if we try to understand the tradition and modernism, do you think literature can play a pivotal role in it?  If so, how? Again, how can an individual writer relate himself or herself to the tradition and to modernism?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: Greek literature has a huge history which starts with Homer, the Odyssey and the Illiade! There is over two millenia of good literature that you spend your whole life reading and not finish it. The individual writer usually has a central theme, which haunts him. If it would be me, I would read something around the theme I need to write about to get inspiration. Good poetry withstands the turns of time. This is why we can read poets from different time periods, which can still be modern today!

NILAVRONILL: Do you think literary criticism has much to do with the development of a poet and the true understanding of his or her poetry?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: Literary cristicism is an art of interpretation of the poetic work of a poet. It should bring forward the multiple levels that a poem could have, what it could mean for the individual, for the society, and, yes, for the true understanding of the poetry! The development of the poet is difficult to grasp, and actually needs the biography of the poet and the influences with which the poet got in touch with through his creative life. As some poets get in touch with beliefs, which come forward in their work at some point of creativity, but later on they change their mind and move away from that.

NILAVRONILL: Do you think society as a whole is the key factor in shaping you up as a poet, or your poetry altogether?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: I think that there are many factors which shape a poet. Society is just one of them. Family, education, occupation, travels, wealth or even health are probably equal components, too. There are villages in Crete which talk only in rhythm and rhyme! Only there you can say, that society is shaping them to be poets. But how good is their poetry to be worth remembering? Is is going beyond their own village? Will it withstand the test of time? Surely not, as none of them bothered with sharing their poems in a book to the public.

NILAVRONILL: Do you think people in general actually bother about literature?  Do you think this consumerist world is turning the average man away from serious literature?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: Most supermarkets have started to have books on their shelfs again. Online shops sell books with great success. I think the trend is back to the book. People read on the beach, or on the bus. There has to be some sort of entry way towards literature. If it is a supermarket book or a classic is the decision of the individual, but someone who starts reading will at some point get to a book he or she loves, and this is where the real journey starts into the serious literature!

NILAVRONILL: We would like to know the factors and the peoples who have influenced you immensely in the growing phase of your literary life.

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: The biggest influence regarding poetry was the social worker at my school. We talked every day about the important things in life and after a while he gave me, when I was 15 years old, the work of the Philhellene Johanes Poethen, which inspired me. I started writing my own poetry there and then. As the social worker was a good friend of mine, he showed my poems to Johanes Poethen himself! I was invited to join the House of Writers and Poets in Stuttgart, but my parents didn’t allow it. I met him again about 10 years later and we became friends. His way of writing inspired me, and I met many interesting poets at the House of Writers in Stuttgart. The various discussions with poets from around the world gave me great opportunity to develop my own style. The study of German Literature and Linguistics was another big influence for my style. I read mostly in German, even foreign authors. My thesis was about poetic elements in romantic letters and I did my work at the Schiller bibliothek, the library of Schiller, outside of Stuttgart. It was a quiet retreat to conduct my research. Just the location itself where everyone was studying was inspiring and beautiful. The classics like Goethe and Schiller, or the romantic writers like Brentano, who even in his private letters used many poetic elements have definitely shaped the way I write. I think that every poetry book we read stays with us, in one way or another! I also love the contempary Greek poets, the Nobel Prize Winners of last century, like Elytis, Seferis and Ritsos that are on the must reading list of every poet in Greece. The growing phase of a poet or poetess ends only with their death. Many great poets wrote their best work at the end of their life. Therefore, in my opinion we are always learning, every step of the way. I also must say, that every poem I write is written in three languages at the same time: English, Greek and German. Translations are a great tool for me to see where the weak points of the poem are and to improve my own style in poetry. As every language has its own way of expression it does help to fine tune each and every poem.

NILAVRONILL: How would you evaluate your contemporaries and what are your aspirations for or expectation from the younger generation?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: There are many great poets and poetesses out there and with many of them, I am really happy to say, that we are friends! In the first international poetry festival of Naoussa, which has just concluded we all had a great sense of togetherness, a sense of family and unity. And I think this is the true value of poetry when it comes from the heart: it brings people closer in a very short span of time and creates such harmony that I have never experienced before! The poetic meetings through ZOOM brought me closer to poets, when the pandemic hit everywhere. It didn’t matter where we were, we could see it was really difficult everywhere in the world, and somehow the meetings made it bearable. We were all looking forward to meet again as soon as possible. Now, that we are slowly opening up again, I was invited to schools on the International Day of Peace and actually met many teenagers who are writing poetry. At first of course they are shy. They don’t want to give away their most inner thoughts, but, when I talk about how I feel when a theme takes my hand and pulls me to the desk to get written, they come forward. I am honest and say, that some poems keep me up at night. And it struck a chord with them and they opened up. It doesn’t take time to write something with inspiration, as it can strike you anywhere. I am positive that the young generation will have many powerful voices to bring forward, because I have already met many. I hope that they will continue writing with enthusiasm!

NILAVRONILL: Humanity has suffered immensely in the past, and is still suffering around the world. We all know it well. But are you hopeful about our future?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: The signs of the time are portrayed as difficult by the media. We need to look for solutions and not just look towards the problems. There is a whole industry now that shows people how to focus on the positive side of life, and I am focusing on the positive, too. There are always two ways to look at something: the half-full glass of water, or the half-empty! Isn’t it better to look at it in the positive perspective? I wanted to do an international poetry festival since the time I came to Naoussa, 22 years ago. There was never an insightful mayor to approve this idea, till this year. And so we gathered the poets from around the world and a dream became reality! Everything just starts with a crazy idea, until someone comes up with a solution on how to make it happen.

NILAVRONILL: What role can literature in general play to bring a better day for every human being?

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: In some hospitals literature is used to help patients find their way back to health. Books are used to help children understand why they need treatment.  In psychiatric facilities they use art and music therapy to help people with memory loss. Literature changes each individual who is reading a book. In the pandemic we experienced that people started reading again.  Many young people turn to books again, as it engages their imagination and they create images in their mind. Literature brought major changes through the revolutions in the past centuries. With the ideas of liberty and equality many countries fought for their independence and succeeded! In Greece it was even inspired by poets from abroad like Lord Byron, who came from Britain to fight side-by-side with the Greeks. Therefore, I think that literature will find it’s true role again to liberate people from limiting beliefs. It is just a matter of time.

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: Xanthi Hondrou-Hill has studied German and English Literature, Linguistics, Journalism and Public Relations Management in Germany. She has worked as Public Relations Manager at the Greek Consulate in Stuttgart, as teacher for German, Greek and English and is translating poetry from and to all three languages. She is an award-winning Greek poetess who gained international recognition. She is writing poetry since high school and her poems have been published in many international prestigious media and anthologies around the world. She has won in 2022 the first prize at the Gandhian Global Harmony Association and many awards in China, Ukraine, Philippines and Equator. She has been nominated as one of the 30 Stars worldwide in India. She is cultural Ambassador for OXYGEN PEN Sri Lanka, NAMASTE magazine in India and editor for poetry columns at www.faretra.info in Greece and HUMANITY in Russia, as well as co-editor for the international poetry magazine in China. Selections of her poetry have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Slavic as well as in two Languages of India: Hindi and Bengali.

 

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL

 

Poetic Habitat 

 

The poets live

in their poems.

They are born in them

they grow up there

they are raised by the words

in the spaces they breath

they are resting on the punctuation

and even when they leave

they exist in the white of every piece of paper

at the edge of every pencil

and in the infinite possibilities of

expression in every language of the world...

 

Mediterranean Waves…

 

Three blue poets fill our life, one singing the blue from the sky

the other the waves of the sea and, the third whispers the wisdom of the wind

 

No matter to which shores the poem takes us, with which clouds we want to travel,

with the wave of a blue scarf, the white sail of a boat, or the wing of a plane

there is always the wisdom of the wind to carry us

 

To reach the shores of dreams, with flowers, pebbles and sea shells as treasures.

The nights were we talked at blue tables with friends or on the phone miles away,

listening to the tide at full moon,

the fun we shared travelling in a rental car without lights

on an island looking to avoid a monastery and

ending up spending the day there in the arms of a Saint,

bringing with us healing oils and sacred water

 

The paintings we discovered in the small museum, in our faces

and on the street corners looking down to the sea,

feeding a foreign hungry artist at the little coffee shop by the seaside

We didn't exchange letters and alphabets like our ancestors,

didn't care if the numbers were Arabic or Greek, didn't even try to find common ground...

 

Because three blue poets, a painter and a musician filled our life

with the waves of the Mediterranean…

 

Eternal Reminder

 

With the Perfection the sky joins the sea

the signs of Mörike's blue ribbon in the air,

the light of Odysseus Elytis, the peace of Pablo Neruda...

Among blossoming peach and cherry trees wandering speechless

 

On the mountain tops

with a wild wish of youth in the mind

with a wild herb in the hand

looking down to the hills of nature’s passion

in breathless excitement

 

on the pebble beaches with open arms

embracing the width of the horizon

open borders between countries and continents

overwhelmed by the blossoming breeze

with a poem on the lips, memories in the eyes, marks on the soul

 

spring is preserved in the hearts

through all seasons

throughout the years and decades

Throughout all our life spring remains

eternal reminder of unstoppable hope

 

Seeds Of Peace

 

In the ceasefires

I plant at the four corners of the horizon

where the blood of my brothers blackens in the sun

seeds of peace.

 

In the ceasefires I light candles

to light the paths of the spirit

traced and lived by Gandhi.

 

In the ceasefires I open the door to strangers

to come and share bread, water, roses.

In the ceasefires I build with my hands

the dreams of children

of the whole world.

 

In the ceasefires I touch

the hearts of those around me

to erase the pain of the past,

to join together to become a circle

To become dance, joy, song.

 

In the ceasefires I plant

The seeds of my lyrics

To speak in the tongues of the world

to become an eternal hymn for peace

 

Unexpected Collection

(Dedicated to my beautiful and talented daughter Anna)

 

I collected

sun, mountain and seas

from the universe

to make your dowry.

 

I went to talk to the nights

so that the stars will write your future bright.

I sat down to hear the sound of the flowers

the colours of the birds

so that your life will be full of beautiful shades

 

But when I heard

the sound of your microscopic heart

my life was filled with

music, colours and light.

 

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL

 

XANTHI HONDROU-HILL: Xanthi Hondrou-Hill has studied German and English Literature, Linguistics, Journalism and Public Relations Management in Germany. She has worked as Public Relations Manager at the Greek Consulate in Stuttgart, as teacher for German, Greek and English and is translating poetry from and to all three languages. She is an award-winning Greek poetess who gained international recognition. She is writing poetry since high school and her poems have been published in many international prestigious media and anthologies around the world. She has won in 2022 the first prize at the Gandhian Global Harmony Association and many awards in China, Ukraine, Philippines and Equator. She has been nominated as one of the 30 Stars worldwide in India. She is cultural Ambassador for OXYGEN PEN Sri Lanka, NAMASTE magazine in India and editor for poetry columns at www.faretra.info in Greece and HUMANITY in Russia, as well as co-editor for the international poetry magazine in China. Selections of her poetry have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Slavic as well as in two Languages of India: Hindi and Bengali.

 

ANA DEDOVA

 

Does It Exist

 

Is there a cure

for the pain of the soul,

for which no medicine

cannot find a diagnosis?

 

Is there a thread

with which it can be patched

the heart that has a crack

not to bleed to his core?

 

Is there a solid box

where can I pour out my thoughts

to pack them carefully

and from everything I may rest?!

 

 

Trapped In Herself

 

Trapped in myself

hungry for bits of hope,

thirsty for clear water

from the source of reality.

 

Trapped in myself

I hear the strong heartbeat,

and the soul is convulsed by uncertainty

wondering what next?

 

Trapped in myself

I feel the heavy steps

of the passing time,

it slowly gets lost and goes away.

 

 

When It Will All Disappear

 

When faith is gone,

the black crows will fly

on this ground of envy and cunning

without conscience to peck at dead bodies

of already dead feelings.

 

When hope is gone,

when all ships sink in the sea of life

and the drowning without boats and life belts

with a shred of hope - in themselves that they have left

to fight for air until the last breath.

 

When love is gone

there will be a torrential rain of malice in the hearts

to the faithful, the hopeful and the lovers,

the strong winds of jealousy,

they will blow it through the crack of the soul

 

ANA DEDOVA

 

ANA DEDOVA was born in Kočani, Macedonia. She spent most of her childhood in Ohrid, Macedonia, which is the main 'culprit' for her first works. Her first book was published in 2012 with the title 'Ohrid pearls.' Occasionally her works are published in the student youth magazine 'IZLEZ. In 2015, she published her second book of poetry, 'Illusion', and two years later, she published her third book in Croatian, 'Your Angel's Face', dedicated to the Balkan pop star from Croatia, Danijela Martinović. It was promoted in Kočani, in the library 'Iskra' and in Skopje in the house of culture 'Kocho Racin', as well as in Zagreb-Croatia, in the most renowned library 'Medveščak', during the Croatian book month. In 2019, she published the fourth book entitled 'The Embroidery of Life', and last year she also published the collection 'The Voice of my Soul'. She is the winner of many awards and recognitions at the national and international level, of which the following stand out: Golden plaque, at the poetry festival 'Gocevi vidici' 2021. Special award from the world literary organization, for the best poetic work. Award for winning 4th place at the 9th International Poetry Competition 'Cities of Verses', organized by writers and literati from Croatia. Award for winning 9th place at the 11th International Poetry Competition 'Poetry of the Golden Verse: The Thread of Early Spring', organized by writers and literati from Croatia. Award for winning 1st place at the 15th International Short Story Competition, organized by writers and literary men from Croatia. She is a participant in many literary and electronic anthologies and anthologies in Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, England and Italy. She has organized and participated in many humanitarian projects, both in our country and beyond. Ana has received the title (recognition) of an international ambassador for peace and humanity in the world and a 'Golden Pledge' certificate, organized by the World Literary Forum for Peace and Human Rights.

VALENTINA NOVKOVIĆ

 

Island

 

The beast of silence rests from the day

in which the harsh attempts were reconciled

with the fact that somehow they slipped through the narrow.

Here, I give you the eyes of the palms.

I know: you are a brush

and kissed the canvas images.

 

In me, here, the island began to sprout

from ice and fruits, from deadness and capriciousness,

from everything that is a contradiction but overflows with harmony.

 

I patiently collect the tears of the past in bottles

autumn that on Saturday one, promised,

to mature into the wine of speech about that

which we only managed to understand without speaking

There are those days when he lives in pain

decorated with long sighs

when you calmly change the water in a vase without flowers

listening to how many times the crows chirped helplessly.

 

Such days are called love,

love that binds to the molecule of tenderness in fences,

daily thorns.

 

Release

 

I can't let you go

even though everything in me is dusting

turns from trying to

weave us into a meaningful tangle.

I can't introduce us to Bashlar,

to introduce us to Berdjaev.

I'm weak on your inaudible gait

on a slightly scratched parquet,

I am weak and strong at the same time

when I close the door

knowing that God is generous to us

into the life of the recognizable

send.

 

I can't let you go,

though each branch me to it

reminds even though our palates did not merge

and yet we shared a thousand kisses

I can't and I don't know

how to wax durability

they make on the ground from lumps and wind,

how sighs of fatigue on yours

eyes steal, while I can't sleep.

 

I can't let you go,

and everything resists duration:

crumpled chocolate wrapper,

a bottle of unknown wine on the table

and glasses that are immediately after

uses must be washed

and our encounters in the dark

hallways.

 

I can't let you go,

because that would be death in the middle

the brightest dawns of my existence

without guests, bouquets and rosemary.

Instead of everything, the nightingales would play

dance

on a gentle whistle of pain.

 

I can't let you go even though everything turns

into non-existence every time my heart

reminds me of the impossibility

the impossibility you yourself created

when you closed the door to the apple seed,

which cannot ripen without you,

that's why I'm hungry.

 

If I ever let you go,

it will be the saddest poem of the one

which rests on your shoulder.

 

The Magic Of Pain

 

We once loved each other around a fire

at the time of the full moon when sorcerers

changed teeth for grass what

they can whisper. That love cost us

habitats and now from the end to

the end of the world we go,

throwing dice on odd days.

 

We once loved each other while the wind was blowing

carried away happiness from paneled windows

behind which the children quarreled over the cake.

Now we pretend to be dumb when the sky asks us:

on which side of the world you have sold hearts

for a handful of fair spells?

 

We once loved each other on the tops

three-headed mountains into which no one

does not go away while spells about winged pain

do not learn. That is why we are pretending to be blind now

in front of what would us

in the abyss could summon.

The abysses of re-love.

 

VALENTINA NOVKOVIĆ

 

VALENTINA NOVKOVIĆ: (Serbia) graduated from the Department of Russian Language and Literature (second language English), literary translator, poet and prose writer, journalist and editor. Represented in numerous domestic and foreign anthologies. Her poems have been translated into Russian, English, Macedonian, Romanian, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Vietnamese, Korean, Bangla and other languages. Winner of many awards for poetry and prose. She has published four poetry books Timeless (Draslar, 2014) Drop on Drought (Parthenon, 2018), Puzzles of Tenderness (Liberland, 2021), and Poems from heaven (2022) as well as the book of stories Two Hours of Reality (AWS, 2020) Editor at the Liberland publishing house, where she edits works by artists from Serbia and the surrounding area and translates works by authors from the Russian-speaking area and authors writing in English. Journalist of the Focus News portal, where her interlocutors were many creators from Russia and the former Soviet Union and writers from all over the world. She has translated over thirty authors from all over the world into Serbian, and has received many awards for her translations.

LIDIA RAZMOSKA TRIMOVSKA

 

Second Life

 

Awakening changes the

awareness of reality.

Only thought can

reach solitude

in whose womb is salvation.

Pulsing

sometimes jumps, but

always sleeps peacefully in

the dream of tomorrow.

Life releases

the energy of the thoughts

send in a message.

The thought of

life that is a gift

often missing.

 

Jigsaw Puzzle

 

We fly to the heights,

unknowingly wasting every moment

measured by the clocks of life.

We stop when we have to

to turn a blind eye to the light

which sends a message.

 

And then, again the same story

with a different ending.

 

The pieces of the puzzle

do not come together only with storytelling.

 

Come

 

The lowest flight of the wind is

the biggest obstacle in

the endless uphill.

The moon travels in the night

stolen from the silence of the stars.

The sky is silent, the stars are sleeping.

Do not wake the light that

closes the eyes.

The fire is a flickering flame

from the strained feelings,

at the times when the most important necessity

we turn it into mischief.

And only then

the mevlem is located in

the depth of the stitched words.

 

Come,

while you still are

on "love" therapy

and stay...

 

LIDIA RAZMOSKA TRIMOVSKA

 

LIDIA RAZMOSKA TRIMOVSKA was born in 1982 in Ohrid, Macedonia.  She started her journey in the world of literature in her high school days.  Writes poetry, short stories, essays and book reviews.  Her poetry has been published in various magazines.  She has won awards at literary competitions.  She was a member of the literary clubs from Ohrid and Skopje, and was actively involved in radio guidance and literary presentations.  She is the author of the collection of poems "Lake Sigh". She is an editor and presenter on the blog "Firefly" (Светулка) on Facebook, where in addition to her works, she publishes works by other authors. She lives and works in Skopje, Macedonia.

MIROSLAVA PANAYOTOVA

 

Memory

 

The dry weather of the sunset

bathed the river in foam.

Cloudy thin trees

rested elbows in the wild.

Young mad grass

was breathing boldly into space.

The gray birds were flying

ghostly again above our heads.

With the breath of the sea the vastness

gushed a fountain forth in our souls.

Sure shine - the red -

was changing rapidly

its dizzying words in the sunset.

The night - warm and cheerful -

sheltered an apple branch -

was crawling on the grass.

Frantic, summer weather

was swaying everything within itself.

Loose, black soil

settled the shadow in the road.

 

Night

 

Night in the field, light

and smells of earth.

The pale moon above

walks alone again.

 

My TV is asleep

before my eyes a long time ago.

I preferred two lindens

instead of the obvious mafia.

 

Outside the night moves slowly,

the morning is approaching.

The dark will become clear

as soon as it meets the morning.

 

Poet

 

You wear in your light soul

everything that comes out

under your fingers –

shapes, heavens, aspirations and sun.

A scarlet flower breathes

in your mouth.

You give the others

fiery scrolls.

Roses burn

your sides at sunset.

Your thought is a world

and a mirror.

Your body is

in your rhyme.

All the grasses and stars in space

hear your voice –

it springs from above!

 

Poetry

 

Do not leave yourself

to look like an easy victim -

the drunken horses of the case

will trample your prayer voice.

Do not let yourself to the wind -

it can sow

the nameless seed of oblivion.

Remember

that you are of fire and steel.

Inhale the fragrance of the earth!

Do not let yourself

the hopeless needles of deception

to defeat you.

Do not be entertained

with the songs of sunset -

the day is your calling,

your god is the courage.

 

MIROSLAVA PANAYOTOVA

 

MIROSLAVA PANAYOTOVA (Bulgaria) graduated from Plovdiv University, specialty Bulgarian philology and English language. She has published poems, stories, tales, aphorisms, essays, criticisms, translations, articles and interviews in periodical and collections. She has published the following poetry books: Nuances, 1994, God of the senses, 2005, Pitcher, 2014, Whisper of leaves, 2017, Green feeling, 2018; two books with stories: An end, and then a beginning, 2017, Path of love, 2018; two eBooks: Laws of communicatons /aphorisms/, 2018, Old things /poetry/, 2018. She is a member of the Union of the Independent Bulgarian Writers and a member of Movimiento Poetas del mundo. Miroslava Panayotova is an ambassador of IFCH (International Forum for Creativity and Humanity).