Bosnia

Bosnia

She is here and she stands firmly

You think: silently once she fell
but she waits for you around the corner
Like trout in the Vrbas
like the Vrbas in its gorge
like that gorge in the mountain
Bosnia—always in her Bosnian ways

Even today we need
her Bogomil beliefs
her Ku’ran
her Pater Noster
her King Tvrtko
and some commander
always ready
to make trouble

You look across the sea
and you look down the wind:
you leave her and then
all your life you hear
Bosnia is calling you

You can never turn your back to her

Translated by Ivo Soljan – © 2009 Ivo Soljan

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