Sesilija

Zašto život traje kao beskrajan dan, a JA NE?
Zašto život, a ja NE jedan dan?

Kad bi znali,
oni što me vide sa mojim artikulisanim razumnim jezikom i direktnim emocijama,
oni što me vide artikulisanu i direktnu,
da nemam jezik
ni razum ni direktnih emocija;
kad bi znali
da bih se bacila,
da bih postala sesilija,
i zatvarajući oči takođe sesilija,
i sesilija dok se baca, i silvija dok se baca,
i sesilija u zraku, i silvija u zraku,
i sesilija s bosom nogom, a silvija se drži za njenu bosu nogu,
i sesilija dok želi doći do zemlje, a silvija koči svoje tijelo u vazduhu.

Dana kad je pala sesilija, pala je i silvija.

Kad bi samo znali,
oni što vide u mom jeziku ritam razuma bez padova,
da nekad padam,
da bivam kriva,
da bivam sesilija.

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić
………………………………………..

Cecilia

¿por qué la vida perdura como un día interminable y yo NO?
¿por qué la vida y NO yo un día?

Si supieran
los que me ven con mi lengua articulada en sensatez y emociones directas
los que me ven articulada y directa
que no tengo lengua
ni sensatez ni emociones directas
si supieran
que me lanzaría
que sería cecilia
y cerrando los ojos también cecilia
y cecilia lanzándose y silvia lanzándose
y cecilia en el aire y silvia en el aire
y cecilia con su pie descalzo y silvia agarrándose de su pie descalzo
y cecilia queriendo llegar al suelo y silvia frenando su cuerpo en el aire.

El día en que cayó cecilia cayó silvia.

Y si supieran
los que ven en mi lengua un ritmo de sensatez sin caídas
que estoy caída
que estoy torcida
que estoy cecilia.

Cecilia

Why should life endure like one endless day and NOT I?
Why life, and I NOT one day?

If they knew
those who see me with my tongue fluent in wisdom and plain emotions
those who see me fluent and plan
that I have no tongue
nor wisdom nor plain emotions
if they knew
that I would cast myself out
I would be cecilia
and closing my eyes then too cecilia
and cecilia casting herself out and silvia casting herself out
and cecilia in the air and silvia in the air
and cecilia with her bare foot and silvia grasping at her bare foot
and cecilia wishing to reach the ground and silvia halting her body in the air.

The day cecilia fell silvia fell.
And if they knew
those who see in my tongue a rhythm of wisdom without falling
that I am fallen
that I am awry
that I cecilia.

Translated by Charlotte Whittle

I am a motherless mother who has given herself a mother through my kids, Eli and Ana Luz, and my husband, who is my tree, and the person from whom I learn love, and to love love. Horses (real and imaginary) have been part of my life since I was a kid. I thank horses my first encounter with bliss. As I ride, I manage to go further away from loss. I love the poem “She Had Some Horses”, by the Native American Poet, Joy Harjo, especially the ending: “She had some horses she loved. / She had some horses she hated / Those were the same horses”.
I teach Hispanic Literature at DePaul University in Chicago, I am originally from Uruguay. I participate in the project Poetic Education for the World. I am a cancer survivor, I will be giving my first writing workshop for women with breast cancer this Saturday. I am a “Mentor Angel” and volunteer in the organization “Immerman Angel”, I support Speaking Spanish women going through breast cancer.
i am a fan of Uruguayan soccer, and I used to play it well as a kid (although it was not “correct” for a girl to play soccer at the time). I love dulce de leche.
I would also like to mention that this poem is very dear and close to me. I wrote it many years ago, before I was a mother. The suicide of my first cousin, Cecilia, has haunted me since it happened, she was 15, I was 14. I am happy that, through the poem, her name and memory are cherished and honored. I would like to thank Angela for translating it for me. We should talk more about difficult issues such as this.

I am fortunate to have lived at least half of my life in a peaceful country. It’s not a perfect country, but comporting to other countries, people live peacefully and are not afraid. Having said that, I believe education has to play an important role in bridging the gap of inequality. I am concerned about the current crisis in public education. In my parents’ generation, Uruguay was well known for the quality of its public education, this has changed, and I hope that we can come up with ways to strengthen the quality of education so that less privilege children are provided with real and concrete opportunities to cultivate their souls. I want all kids to feel hopeful.
Uruguay had a military dictatorship during the seventies. I believe that there needs to be more dialogue about the legacies of the dicatorship in every day life and also in our language.
I try to promote peace by participating and mentoring in the project “Poetic Education for the World”. Agustin Benelli, a chilean poet and radio broadcaster, is the founder of this project that is promoting the cultivation of a poetic sensibility in the public schools in Chlie and in other countries. As poets involved in this project, we become active participants in the classroom as “poet educators”, through workshops and other acitivities, we try to cultivate a poetic sensibility in children and teenagers. We believe that a poetic education can bring hope and empower students to live happier, empathic, and peaceful lives. The link to the project is the following: www.poeticeducationfortheworld.com

Ese eco que une los ojos (with Esperanza Vives), Almud Ediciones 2023
árbol y otra ansiedades, Isla Negra ediciones 2021
miedo, Axiara ediciones 2020
De los peces la sed, Loboestepario 2018
No-One Rises Indifferent to Sorrow (chapbook translated by Charlotte Whittle)
Cinco movimientos del llanto, Hermes Criollo 2008

YES

LITERATURE IS MY MASTER

Literature is my Master and I am its slave.
I write books and poetry that my readers crave.
Literature was not my first love but now I feel,
It’s my friend and companion and a steady shield.

I write whatever and whenever I feel like it.
In light bulb moments or when I am fit.
I write in my dreams too if my brain cannot sleep.
Although Literature does not pay for my upkeep.

I write not for fame, award, fortune or money.
I write whatever my thoughts reveal to me.
So far, with my books and poetry many are pleased.
It’s easy to tell from book reviews I have received.
Copyright@Brenda Mohammed

I am a former Bank Manager from Trinidad and Tobago and I love poetry.
I have written 57 books of which 15 are poetry
THere is nothing unusual about me.
I love life and I love to travel with my family.

My beautiful country – Trinidad and Tobago is a peaceful country.
Set in the Caribbean Sea, here every creed and race finds an equal place.
I believe that peace begins with each of us.
Before peace can be achieved in the world, we must all realize that God is our Father.
If parents bring up their children in the correct way, we will live like brothers and sisters.
We must respect all humans as members of one family.

POETRY BOOKS BY BRENDA MOHAMMED
2019 – Strength for the Disheartened: Motivational Poems – a collection of poems to motivate and inspire.
2019 – Dreams of the Heart: A Poetry Collection –  a selection of a number of unique poems for romantic poetry lovers.
2020 – A Road Travelled: Poetry to Delight – the book features a wide range of inspirational poems on Love, Love’s woes, Travel, Happiness, and effects on life during lockdown at the time of CoVid 19.
2020 – Soothing Poetry in English and Spanish – The poems are didactic, fun to read, and full of hope and insight. Dr. Arabella Persaud, the author’s sister, who has a PHD in Spanish, translated the poems.
2020 – Sweet Medley: A Poetic Joy contains a medley of poems by Author Brenda Mohammed on varied subjects of life, love, and nature.
2021 – Just for You: Poetic Flowers – contains poems of love, childhood, and sundry thoughts, as well as Love poems.
2021 – Truth – Both poetry and prose within this book are about truth.
2021 – Teatime Poetry – A collection of different styles of poetry.
2021 – Treasured Memories – A collection of travel poems that will motivate readers to achieve more in life.
2021 – Islands in the Sun – Poetic verses about Trinidad and Tobago, the author’s homeland.

NO

1917

Postoji duga uspomena
na ljeto 1917. godine.

Uspomena na oči
koje znaju zatvarati vrata,
na zemlje bez imena,
i na mornare sahranjene
kao da su
okeani.

Postoji dugi trenutak,
sestre pijuckaju čaj, kradući zvijezde iz ljeta,
i onda drugi trenutak,
gdje iste te sestre
kidaju suknje
da izliječe rane
građanskog rata
i onda još jedan,
Uvijek postoji pendulum koji daje dah satu.

Postoje uspomene,
zamišljane u bojama i poeziji,
i zatim su tu druge
sa pejzažem iskrivljenog željeza
i duhovima mladića.

1917
Ova spomena će zauvijek ostati zapisana
ovako.

1917
Existe un largo recuerdo
del verano del 1917.

Un recuerdo de ojos
que saben cerrar puertas,
de tierras sin nombre,
y de marineros sepultados
como si fueran
océanos.

Existe un largo momento,
de hermanas tomando el té, robándole estrellas al verano
y luego otro momento,
donde las mismas hermanas
se rasgan las faldas
para curar heridas
de una Guerra Civil
y luego otra,
Siempre hay un péndulo dándole aliento al reloj.

Existen recuerdos,
pensados en colores y poesía,
y también están los otros
con paisaje de fierros retorcidos
y fantasmas de muchachos.

1917
Así quedará para siempre escrito
este recuerdo.

Soy Luis Alonso Cruz Alvarez. Nací en Lima, Perú en 1981. Me formé como Ingeniero Industrial y a la vez estuve en el Taller de Poesía de Renato Sandoval desde 1999 hasta el 2003.
La poesía me ha llevado a conocer distintos lugares entre festivales y ferias de libro como Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Alemania y España. Mis textos han sido traducidos al inglés, uzbeko, italiano y bengalí.
He sido semifinalista en el premio Internacional Paralelo Cero (Ecuador, 2020 y 2023), primer finalista del Premio Cope de Poesía (Perú, 2021) y Nominado para el Premio Nacional de Literatura de Poesía (Perú, 2019 y 2023)

El principal problema para la lograr una sociedad pacífica en Perú es el diálogo. Creo que la solución es justo lograr espacios para las personas donde podamos compartir y dialogar

Lumen (Lima, 2007)
Radio Futura (Lima,2008)
Osario de Criaturas Perplejas (México, 2014),
La Música del Hielo (2015)
Hombre Fractal (2018, mención para el premio Nacional de Poesía de Perú, 2019)
Jardín Mecánico (Lima, 2022).

YES

KAKO IZGRADITI KUĆU
Ima ljudi koji žale zbog nesavršenosti stvari.
Naprotiv, ja cijenim nedovršeno.
Važna je pukotina koja odlazi otvarajući
se na zidu dugih ljetnjih popodneva,
mrlja od vina na nedjeljnom stolnjaku,
mrlja na starim plahtama gdje su
ljubavnici gorjeli u jesenjim noćima.
Cijenim krhotine i ruševine, izgubljeno,
sve propale ali ne i izumrle projekte.
Možda zato što je moja duša sačinjena od zakrpa,
ili krhotina tanjira, šolja i čaša i zelene patine noževa,
viljuški i kašika koje su potonule u prah starog doma;
možda zato što sam sazdan od tog materijala
od kojeg su sačinjene želje za životom
i smrću i svi oni zaboravljeni snovi na portretima
starih ujni i svih predaka.
Pravim prognozu za one stare stvari koje
su izgubljene pale na pod tajnog braka,
obraćam pažnju na biser koji je pao na tavan sobe:
nikad pronađen, a ipak postoji i sjaji.
Možda me tu uočavanje nesavršenosti počinje
tjerati da počnem iznova, kao neko ko gradi
kuću uprkos svim vjetrovima.Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić ……………………………………………

COMO QUEM CONSTRÓI UMA CASA

Há pessoas que lamentam o imperfeito das coisas,
pelo contrário, eu dou valor ao inacabado.
Tem importância a fissura que se vai
abrindo na parede nas tardes longas de verão,
a mancha de vinho na toalha da mesa de um domingo,
a nódoa no lençol da cama de madeira antiga
onde os amantes arderam em noites de outono.
Dou valor aos escombros e às ruínas, ao perdido,
a todos os projetos malogrados, mas não extintos.
Talvez porque minha alma seja feita de remendos,
ou de cacos de pratos, e de taças, e de xícaras,
e do azinhavre das facas, dos garfos e colheres
que afundaram no barro primordial da casa antiga;
talvez porque eu seja feito dessa matéria
de que são feitos os desejos de vida e morte
e de todos os sonhos esquecidos nos retratos
das velhas tias e de todos os antepassados.
Faço o cômputo dessas velharias que se perderam
derrubadas no chão de um secreto casamento,
fico atento à pérola que caiu no desvão da sala:
nunca mais foi encontrada, e, no entanto, existe e brilha.
Talvez daí venha que ver o imperfeito me faça recomeçar,
como quem constrói uma casa contra todos os ventos.

I’m a doctor, now retired. I have been a poet and writer since I was young, and I have written more than 30 books, including poetry, short stories, novels and books for children. I am a translator, mainly from Italian and Spanish, having translated 9 books by Chilean Pablo Neruda. I write essays in newspapers and magazines and have received awards in my country and abroad, such as in Romania, Moldova, Italy. My texts have already been translated into more than 15 languages. But the most important thing of all is when a poem makes its home in someone else’s heart and resonates forever.
I am married to Virginia, I have three children and two granddaughters.

Peace in the world is the desire of most people. However, economic and geopolitical issues are powerful, and old politicians have no limits in sending young people to die for causes they know nothing about. Every war is an act of barbarism, and only education can improve our civilizational stage. And poetry can play an important role there, where the beauty and deep meaning of things through words can lead to unity and the maintenance of cordiality, friendship and peace between peoples. It’s not too much to dream when we dream together for a better world.

Poetry
1.Permanent Mining
2.The Condemned Cities
3. Love is geometry
Tales
4. The record-breaking athlete
5. Wild Lions of Tanganyika
6. The owl collector
Novels
1.The Kingdom of Macambira
2. Mel de Lechiguana’s fabulous journeyThese are some of the 30 books I have written.

YES

IZDANCI

I.
Jedan udah hladnog zraka
prodire u tišinu mog bića,
odjekujući u dugim otkucajima
uspomena davne prošlosti.

Osjećam, razmišljam, promišljam,
vjerujući da sam svjetlost koja ulazi
u dubine mojih pluća,
umornih od prolaznosti vremena.

Zrak se iscrpljuje u meni,
u infarktnim stanicama tvog odsustva,
žalosti pred praznim prozorom,
ugnjetavanim pred jednom mišlju.

Ovo je žalostan prikaz moje agonije,
gdje izgledam poput svijeće koja se gasi,
što odlazi sa sjenom prošlosti,
bježeći od pjesama tvog zaborava.

Otkrivam svaki potez, svaki list jeseni
koji pucketa u padu zvijezde,
proždirući strpljenje i povraćajući strahove
vezane uz manžetnu moje košulje.

I ne znam hoću li moći izdržati sljedeću zimu
sa snijegom u emocijama,
sa ledom na oštrici noža,
sa mojim suzama na jastuku.

II.

Otvoriti oči sljedećeg dana;
ponekad je izazov titana.
Bojim se pozvati te i ne dobiti odgovor
na izgubljene uzdahe među vrbama.

Tajanstvenom magijom, tvoja slika se gubi
među mojim prolivenim suzama,
otapajući šećer mojih osjećaja,
bivajući indigo ptica jutrom.

Moje patnje odjednom prestaju;
nada se rađa u meni.
Iz pijeska izranja druga slika
krunišući moje izdanke zorom.

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić
……………………………………………

RETOÑOS
Jorge Antonio Encinas Cladera
(BOLIVIA)

I.
Una bocanada de aire frío
penetra en el silencio de mi esencia
que late en las dilatadas palpitaciones
de mis recuerdos de antaño.

Siento, pienso, medito
y creo ser una luz que ingresa
en los socavones de mis pulmones
cansados de tiempo.

Se me agota el aire
en las celdas infartadas de tu ausencia
que plañe a la ventana vacía,
que se angustia ante una quimera.

Este es el lúgubre cuadro de mi agonía
donde parezco una candela que se extingue,
que se marcha con la sombra del pasado,
que huye de los cantos de tu olvido.

Voy desnudando cada trazo, cada hoja de otoño
que cruje ante la caída del astro,
que se come a la paciencia y vomita temores
anudados a la manga de la camisa.

Y no sé si pueda soportar mi próximo invierno
con nieve en mis sentimientos,
con escarcha en el filo de mi navaja,
con mi llanto en la almohada.

II.

Abrir los ojos al siguiente día;
es, a veces, desafío de titanes.
Me da miedo llamarte y que no respondas
a mis suspiros perdidos en los sauces.

Con magia arcana tu imagen se diluye
entre mis lágrimas caídas
diluyendo el azúcar de mis sentires
de ser ave añil en la mañana.

Mi sufrir cesa de pronto;
renace en mí la esperanza.
De la arena surge otra imagen
coronando de aurora mis retoños.

I am a lawyer, but i am a teacher too. I enjoy to work in a Highschool and at a University. I am a dreamer. I am a writer, i play in the teather. I am a human

Narcotrafic and coruption. Teaching value,with poetry, can help to give a solution to my country Bolivia.

Blue Wolf, The sirens of the wind, cristal flowers, darks butterflys.

YES

POLOMLJENA ARKA, NIčIJI VRT

–Naša ljubav je drvo od papira –rekla je.

–Ne –rekao je–. Naša ljubav je list otrgnut od drveta koji se oko istog vrti, očajno, vučen vjetrom.

–Naša ljubav je drvo koje se ogleda u lokvi –rekla je.

–Ne –rekao je–. Naša ljubav je duplikacija lista u njegovoj sudbini, gledajući ga, drhti i podsjeća ga na svoj izvor.

–Naša ljubav je osušeni list spaljen suncem –rekla je.

–Ne –rekao je–. Naša ljubav je list proboden svjetlošću, ostvarujući se u svom padu ka vibrirajućem ležaju u potrazi za odmorom.

–Naša ljubav je crtež izbrisan sjenkom –rekla je.

–Ne –rekao je–. U sjeni drveta porijekla, naša ljubav je bijeli list potopljen u njegovim korijenima.

–Kad ljubav završi, riječi počinju –rekla je.

–Ne –rekao je–. Kad se riječi vrate, ljubav se utemeljuje.

Translated to Montenegrin by Anđela Turukalo Dabetić

……………………………………………

ARCA ROTA, JARDÍN DE NADIE

–Nuestro amor es un árbol de papel –dijo ella.

–No –dijo él–. Nuestro amor es la hoja desprendida del árbol girando a su alrededor desesperada arrastrada por el viento.

–Nuestro amor es el árbol reflejado en el charco –dijo ella.

–No –dijo él–. Nuestro amor es la duplicación de la hoja en su destino que la mira y tiembla y le recuerda su origen.

–Nuestro amor es una hoja seca quemada por el sol –dijo ella.

–No –dijo él–. Nuestro amor es la hoja atravesada por la luz consumándose en su caída hacia el vibrante lecho en busca de reposo.

–Nuestro amor es un dibujo borrado por la sombra –dijo ella.

–No –dijo él–. A la sombra del árbol del origen nuestro amor es una hoja blanca hundida en sus raíces.

–Cuando termina el amor comienzan las palabras –dijo ella.

–No –dijo él–. Cuando regresan las palabras se funda el amor.

I was born in the city of Mar del Plata (1971). I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have a double life based on two passions: as a writer and as a scientific researcher, since I am PHD in Physics. As a scientific researcher, I work at the Institute of Astronomy and Space Physics, being my research specialized on atomic collisions. As a writer, I collaborates with literary magazines in the country and abroad. I have participated in several international poetry festivals and I have several awards: Honorable unique mention in the poetry contest from the Publisher Ruinas Circulares (2012) and general mentions in stories and poetry (2014); second prize in the poetry contest organized by the National Fund of Arts of Argentina (2019) for the book “Upside down sky (Metaphysics of “Teresa” image dreaming the South)” and the second prize in the national poetry contest organized by The Fund Victoria Ocampo for the book “Sister, garden, thorn” (2021).

One of the consequences of a low quality of education and the economical crisis is the advent of new fascist tendencies in my country. I think that more education should be implemented to help people to understand the importance of tolerance and the role of science and culture in the development of societies.

1. “The shape of water” (ed. Universidad de la Plata, 2010) (short stories)
2. “Seven ways to say sadness” (Lima, 2011) (poetry)
3. “Sisyphus in the North” (ed. Ruinas Circulares, Buenos Aires, 2012) (poetry)
4. “The house without shadow” (Buenos Aires, 2014) (poetry)
5. “The empty city” (ed. Trópico Sur, Uruguay, 2015) (poetry)
6. “The Machine of allegories” (ed. Buenos Aires Poetry, Buenos Aires, 2016) (poetry)
7. “From caos to intensity” (ed. Hijos de la lluvia, Juliaca-Buenos Aires, 2017) (compilator of this poetry anthology)
8. “Broken arc nobody garden” (ed. Valparaíso, Spain, 2018) (poetry)
9. “Upside down sky (Metaphysics of “Teresa” image dreaming the South)” (ed. La primera vértebra, Buenos Aires, 2020) (poetry)
10. “Sister, garden, thorn” (ed. Detodoslosmares, Córdoba, 2023) (poetry)
The poetry book “The house without shadow” was translated and published in the anthology “Experimental writing: Africa Vs Latin America” (ed Langaa Research and Publishing, Cameroon, 2017).

YES