Slobodan Škerović

Ballad of the one

bonfire and mist
how to put together sun and moon
but here two suns, like one
chase across the sky
and one is day and one is night
 
when I walk, I never know
is it it or is it it
when I sleep I never wake
and if I look I see
white skies and mist
and distant peaks
 
and their ice
 
strange, here winds don‘t blow
and fire burns profondo red
and transparent;
smoke invisible
and crack of twigs like
kaleidoscope
perturbs my sight
I look at them unmoved
 
I sit on beach and watch
the foam
feet deep in sand
wet
water climbs, retreats...
bent, I touch, I hear
I sing
salamander comes
salamander whispers in my ear
 
his eyes‘ lustre‘s black and
blue
matching mine
magic bursts and sprays my
loneliness, paleness
hum and tune
 
is this world alive
 
I don‘t ask for miracles.
 
I unusually slow -
heart is dead.
 
it is nothingness:
I inhale the scent
deep, in flesh
the river flows, somewhere
stones protrude
 
I have to split
these two:
 
I am now in different mood
how it moved?
I stood
I am bigger than this world
 
bitter clarions cry
but I hush
not my word was heard
no one heard
(that I want night)
I want dripping blood
 
and in night I want
to see the stars
 
rrrrram!
 
a complete change, and cold
breeze, and I want the heat
it hides
somewhere, around
I feel with my hands
I go out
 
snowflakes on the edge
 
on stilleto edge
 
the mist still there
and no phantasy to smile
it means death
it means near-distance
it means kwartz
pure light
 
abysses! but nowhere to fall
it dissipates
I think what I see
and it makes me bow
 
the turmoil is over, the song of the world
who is to speak when there‘s no I
if I say I
do I escape from
loneliness
 
if I say you
do you escape
 
up in the sky two suns sneak
one is day the other night
mist twirls
lightnings hit
 
I wake up from the dream
I see myself asleep
 
frog krrrrak!
it heaves
it was born yesterday
and it‘s big
 
too old, I say
I go
there is eye in the sky
it was also seen
 
escape, escape from this
but nothing shakes
trees hower
moss sticks
I can‘t
 
dream no dream
like whole universe in one
one dream in the sky
another in the sky
just how long it takes
everyone to die
 

20.6.99