Saša Milivojev - POET THE UNDYING

Saša Milivojev is a famous writer, poet, journalist columnist and political analyst... One of the most read columnists in Serbia, he is the author of five books, and numerous columns published in various daily newspapers. He is the author of the novel „The Boy from the Yellow House“ and of political speeches. His work has been translated into around twenty languages across the world.

Saša Milivojev

Saša Milivojev

POET THE UNDYING

Countless times you may have killed us
We shall always rise again
Down the beams of light descend
Forever to you we shall return
For you we shall recite our prayers
And sing of virtue and of love
Your world is stern
Damned, you step upon the poet like a
flower in bloom
The honeybee that honey makes
Still he soars
And there to ice he succumbs
When rocks on earth turn into crumbs
And sparks emblaze
Shooting stars fall so bright
into the new bodies of confinement,
Giving the poets the kiss of life with their
light
Angels heralds
Lonely nomads
Hungry vagabonds
That you hunt and hate
Although they teach you to love and to ache
To find yourself
To hope,
dream and forgive
No more to lie,
Betray, steal nor kill

Thousands of years are passing by
Countless times beheading us to die
With our divine blood
You let your pigs imbibe
Yet again we have returned
To surprise you will succumb
Just to wink
Songs to sing and help you
Better to become

By divine Myrrh that is flowing
With our words entwined
The universe beams at you
Of wickedness and grief its healing you
The poet is kneeling

Humiliated for mercy he is pleading
Is his song a thorn in your eye?
Is that why you made him die?
Soon you too will fly away
To endlessness
Thy bare feet the earth will caress
On your best man’s straw, you’ll stumble
Down the inky pit you’ll tumble
Will a poet rescue thee?
Once again will you be free?

Countless times I may ‘ve been slayed
They’ll bring me to
Earth again
Down the purple beams
they’ll throw me
Violets in their blooming glory
That your step will strain
The bee will wing
And just as a song
Your heart it will sting.

Saša Milivojev

Translated by

Ljubica Yentl Tinska