—Poetry by Jasna Gugić, Zagreb, Croatia
—Public Domain Photos Courtesy of Joe Nolan
SPRING
Spring is more beautiful
in the backyard of my childhood
under a cherry blossom in bloom.
Fluid and divine white,
adorned with wishes,
colorful,
dreamed in imagination
this present and untouchable love
who constantly struggles with fear
cocoon
in the depths of the soul.
Spring is more beautiful
in the backyard of my childhood
under a cherry blossom in bloom.
Fluid and divine white,
adorned with wishes,
colorful,
dreamed in imagination
this present and untouchable love
who constantly struggles with fear
cocoon
in the depths of the soul.
STILLNESS
Name your science
as my hunch
that leaves a bitter taste
of smile,
lost in days of endless hope.
Stay in silence here in front
of my glowing love.
Name my silence
as infinity with a fear of pain
encased deep on the bottom
of the heart.
Unchain all unchainable for me
and free my dreams
with smiling life as a gift.
Name your science
as my hunch
that leaves a bitter taste
of smile,
lost in days of endless hope.
Stay in silence here in front
of my glowing love.
Name my silence
as infinity with a fear of pain
encased deep on the bottom
of the heart.
Unchain all unchainable for me
and free my dreams
with smiling life as a gift.
STAY
Cover me with your beauty
Fill the cracks in my heart
Without you
I’m dried-up source
A standing river
I’m the road which
Leads to nowhere
Silent in helplessness
All alone without a splendour
Impersonal views
Staring at yesterday
Blind for tomorrow
So, don’t leave without
Turning your eyes around
Stay close
The night is descending
It’s too black and I fear
The shadows of darkness
Stay with me
Be the fire of life
That shines in me.
Cover me with your beauty
Fill the cracks in my heart
Without you
I’m dried-up source
A standing river
I’m the road which
Leads to nowhere
Silent in helplessness
All alone without a splendour
Impersonal views
Staring at yesterday
Blind for tomorrow
So, don’t leave without
Turning your eyes around
Stay close
The night is descending
It’s too black and I fear
The shadows of darkness
Stay with me
Be the fire of life
That shines in me.
TONIGHT
Tonight,
I could only write about you
long,
tender and incessantly,
without reason,
without blinking,
no regrets.
Just like my heart
without programs,
without schemes,
no combination.
Because you are,
of course,
gentle
and lazy,
but as if I knew everything about you
and you around,
as if it had always belonged to those
hands,
eyes,
hugs.
Tonight,
I could only write about you
and I touch the stars
with my hands
because you gave me your shine.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
NorCal poets will be saddened to hear that Hatch Graham passed away in his sleep this past Thursday night. Our condolences to his friends and family. His wife, Taylor Graham, writes, “Hatch was also a poet, and when he was too blind to read his poems, he sang old songs at our read-arounds—a beautiful singing voice.” This is a poem Taylor Graham wrote for him (“blazing” refers to his poem, “Blaze”, which he often recited at open mics):
YOU'RE BLAZING TRAIL NOW
for Hatch Graham, forester
Tonight,
I could only write about you
long,
tender and incessantly,
without reason,
without blinking,
no regrets.
Just like my heart
without programs,
without schemes,
no combination.
Because you are,
of course,
gentle
and lazy,
but as if I knew everything about you
and you around,
as if it had always belonged to those
hands,
eyes,
hugs.
Tonight,
I could only write about you
and I touch the stars
with my hands
because you gave me your shine.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
NorCal poets will be saddened to hear that Hatch Graham passed away in his sleep this past Thursday night. Our condolences to his friends and family. His wife, Taylor Graham, writes, “Hatch was also a poet, and when he was too blind to read his poems, he sang old songs at our read-arounds—a beautiful singing voice.” This is a poem Taylor Graham wrote for him (“blazing” refers to his poem, “Blaze”, which he often recited at open mics):
YOU'RE BLAZING TRAIL NOW
for Hatch Graham, forester
—Taylor Graham, Placerville, CA
Always the adventurer
fearless on heights looking down
over the deeps, seeking
a better way through thickets—
alder, manzanita, willow—
leading us out to clearing,
a meadow blooming wildflowers
like we never saw in our lives.
You left before dawn—
we knew you were going.
The house is quiet
except for your dog waiting
at the door.
____________________
Kitchen newcomer Jasna Gugić was born in Vinkovci, Croatia. She is the Vice-President for public relations of the Association of Artists and Writers of the World SAPS; Global Ambassador of Literacy and Culture for the Asih Sasami Indonesia Global Writers, P.L.O.T.S., the Creative Magazine Ambassador for Croatia; and a member of Angeena International, a non-profit organization for peace, humanity, literature, poetry and culture. She is also co-editor of the anthology, Compassion—Save the World, one poem written by 130 world poets.
Jasna is a multiple winner of many international awards for poetry and literature, and her work has been translated into several world languages. Her first independent collection of poetry was published in 2021, a bilingual English-Croatian edition, entitled Song of Silence. She lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.
Welcome to the Kitchen, Jasna, and don’t be a stranger!
Today, April 29, is an astonishingly busy day in NorCal poetry—probably a record! Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about these and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week. (I just added a couple last night.)
_____________________
—Medusa
____________________
Kitchen newcomer Jasna Gugić was born in Vinkovci, Croatia. She is the Vice-President for public relations of the Association of Artists and Writers of the World SAPS; Global Ambassador of Literacy and Culture for the Asih Sasami Indonesia Global Writers, P.L.O.T.S., the Creative Magazine Ambassador for Croatia; and a member of Angeena International, a non-profit organization for peace, humanity, literature, poetry and culture. She is also co-editor of the anthology, Compassion—Save the World, one poem written by 130 world poets.
Jasna is a multiple winner of many international awards for poetry and literature, and her work has been translated into several world languages. Her first independent collection of poetry was published in 2021, a bilingual English-Croatian edition, entitled Song of Silence. She lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.
Welcome to the Kitchen, Jasna, and don’t be a stranger!
Today, April 29, is an astonishingly busy day in NorCal poetry—probably a record! Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about these and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week. (I just added a couple last night.)
_____________________
—Medusa
For more about National Poetry Month,
including ways to celebrate, see
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
including ways to celebrate, see
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
