translated poetry – Fevers of the Mind

Lake, Cloudy Day, Mountains, Tibet, Scenery, Landscape

photo from pixabay images.

Never did I

Never did I beat my head against the wall when I wished it.
Never did I jump out the window when I thought I could do it.
Never did I get out of myself when my chest almost burst out.
Never did I experience bad things from insomnia when fully awake.
Never did I experience good things from insomnia when fully awake.

Never did I fall when my legs stumbled.
Never did I even scream when I felt pain.
Never did I tell the truth though I swear I did.
Never did I dare tell the truth.
Never did I feel utterly happy.
Never did I either feel utterly sad.
Never did I entirely love.
Never did I entirely give myself to anybody.
I didn't dare to.
Or wanted to.
And I hate it when others say they did.
There are no more selfish and darker beings than people.

Dreams

I dream of Tibet
And of a blanket
On the top of the world

I dream of a morn
Of the respite of my
Memento mori

I dream of harmony
I dream of the sea
And I vanish in the agony

I dream of distance
Of the unknown
Of someone

Confession

She plays Confession
Softly, on the guitar
And I want to admit
Nothing is the way I wanted
Dreamed and desired

Air, fire, earth and water
Aren’t what they were
Heraclitus doesn’t know it’s our fault
For all is worse
And the sea
Rises
Avenges
Threatens
To crash
And drown all

There is no place on earth
Joy, light, and quiet love
For there’s no more true love

Bio: Sandrijela Kasagić (1973) teaches the Serbian language at the Grammar School in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has published several scholarly papers on syntax and stylistics, and writes short stories and poetry. She is currently working on her first collection of poetry to be published in 2022.

Translator: Petar Penda @PetarPenda1 on Twitter is a University Professor of English and American literature, translator.

2 poems from Petar Penda : Betrayals & Looking Back

DOWNHILL A pen sails down the pain alarming freedom by which the day’s schedule doesn’t rule nostalgia and a little bit of light harsh and infatuating passion for dead-end streets if I’m a field of love why do flowers laugh? FROM A MAGIC GRAIN He laid an iron bar on my hands Who? The evil God of Time I hit weak, crumbled concrete under my feet Below it is damp soil I’ll plant a fast-growing tree I’ll go to see a Sharp-Teeth Giant The iron bar is with me Broken teeth grow from the warm soil New people grow The Wind’s Queen scatters them to the world’s seven sides Again spring So many new stories SOMETHING In a swayed dingy Now close then far from the shore Tossed by trident waves Salty we swim Retreating Later on the shore Among slimy jelly-fish We curse the horned wind It’s coming near We keep thinking about it A stranger said that Luck is confined there In a damp bag Tied with a rotten rope. Bio: Jadranka Milenković is an acclaimed novelist and a poet, born in 1969 in Pula, Croatia, and now lives in Niš, Serbia. She has published three novels, a collection of poetry, and many short stories in literary journals. Her stories and poetry were published in several Balkan and Russian journals and were awarded prestigious regional prizes. Jadranka is the founder of the club "Too Strong a Word", which gathers young people interested in literature, philosophy and arts. Her work in the club encourages young people to read, appreciate and write poetry and fiction and have an interdisciplinary approach to literature by emphasising its connection with philosophy and arts in general. Wolfpack Contributor: Petar Penda 2 poems from Petar Penda : Betrayals & Looking Back

Tag: translated poetry

3 Poems by Sandrijela Kasagić (translated by Petar Penda)

3 poems by Jadranka Milenković translated by Petar Penda