Zemra Shqiptare
https://www.zemrashqiptare.net/
https://www.zemrashqiptare.net/
| E diele, 12.09.2010, 12:34 PM |
Sevdije Rexhepi – „BETWEEN RIVERS OF BABYLON”
Publishing House “Faik Konica”, Prishtina/ Kosova 2010.
Editors-in-chief: Mirela Sula,Tirana/Albania and Kreshnik Ndreu, New Jersey / USA
ISBN 978-9951-06-313-5.
THE DEEPEST EXPRESSION OF LIFE
In “Between Rivers of Babylon”, Sevdije Rexhepi has truly created the poetry of truth, optimism, faith and love. The beauty of friendship is found in quiet moments where no words need to be spoken but love is frankly felt. On the other hand the deeply cherished value of friendship is embraced throughout poems about life in today’s
All poems one after the other are a living verse since they contain the vitality, free of fashion and form, which is instantly recognizable as the deepest expression of life.
Give this book as an exquisite gift to friend. Renew your spirit through words that speak right to your heart, reading it yourself. Keep one for You, in your treasury of memories.
Kreshnik Ndreu
FOR A MOMENT
For a moment
You stopped by
We shook hands
Talked about my land
For a moment
I smile to you
I gave you a friendly hug
We shared memories
Afterword
For a moment
We realized
Together we are
Forever thankful
For the same blue sky
We share.
THE MERMAID
Sitting at the seaside
Like a spoiled child
Watching the endless sky
Begging the Sun to come down
And swim with me
The sea beautiful and blue
Comes slowly
Easily, towards me
Opening its wavelet arms
Embracing me tenderly
I, the mermaid
Give myself to waves
The sailor
He don’t know me, I don’t know him
Jumps, to save my precious Dream!
OUR SHARED DREAMS
In no man’s land
We breathe, we stand
We feed our dreams
We talk, we walk
We like, we love
We smile
Together with the sunrise
Singing a lullaby
To the sunset
DESTINY
It hurts when you see
Her sad eyes crying
Like rain
On my window
Pouring down
To the bottom
I feel the thunder
From her soul
As coming
Everyday
She’s fighting
To survive the nightmare
Waiting and praying
To breathe
The Air of Freedom
OURS
You touched my soul
Those eyes of yours
Told me
I touched yours, too
I saw you once
I recall
The day you left
What an Awesome Power!
Call what you want
Spiritual…
Fantasy…
Fairy tale...
Poetry…
Or just Love
WALL OF LIFE
Every day
I hear my steps
Walking, slowing down
And stopping
To read the Wall of Life
Thinking, breathing deep
Going back weeks
Months, years...
Marc...
Robert…
Fred…
Arthur…
Rashid...
Surinder…
Timothy…
Rodger…
And…
All the friends
Who gave it All…
God Bless their soul!
Amen.
BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL
Constellation of stars
Dancing
Over silent river
And diving
Deeply into history
Wordlessly...
I feel your hand
Squeezing mine
In this sacred night
Beside the chaos
All around us
And dunes of sand behind
This weave of dream is
Breathtakingly beautiful
TOMORROW’S HOPE
Is
Whistling hard
The desert wind
Brakes this silent night
Into million pieces
Embracing the moment
So profound
To touch the bottom
With cosmic questions
With no answers
Under the moonlight
Vaguely starring
At the stars above
‘Cause candles are not allowed.
Be quiet, please...
Don’t shut out
Tomorrows Hope
Tonight.
STAMINA
(To a Bosnian friend)
Wordlessly I tried
To scratch the face of the Evil time
When everything colored, stopped
From the shed blood
Black and white
Unknown tomorrows
Mask of panic all around
Silhouettes that chassed the light
Every day and every night
Through your eyes
I’m watching live
A similar story
As mine
When I touched
Softly your scars
All around arms
Which you fought with
Train of thoughts revived again
I read
The suffering, the fear, the loss
And the Will to survive
When the storms were raging violently
Swallowing the pain
You stood up
Turning over the new leaf of life
Here we are
Same path, same world
You my friend
And I
FEELING BLUE
In the open door
Of the world of music
Quietly I stepped in
As a fool with no rules
Pretending
That I don’t hear anything
Out of everything…
Echoes, that comes from the blasts
Fear, that can’t disappear
Soprano’s voice shivering
Other noises that I hear!?
Missing… those I love
Me, every single day
Survivor
When I’m this far
What else can I do
But, Feeling Blue!?
You woke the dream
Again
Wonderful fantasies
Swallowing the bitter yesterday
Listening the sound of today
Locking the present into a silence
Trying to understand
Mysteries of life...
Feeling of the burning sun
Reminds us where we are
Spirit of rebellion
Flood of unanswered questions…
Journey of life
Brought us between rivers
Between war and freedom
LISA
Imaginary
Extraordinary
Lisa from Wonder World
Is Praying…..
Carrying the fairy tales
Into the hope, for tomorrow
Disbelieves and fear
Disappear
She moves on
She is strong
Shining star, proudly
Hanging in her mind
Twin tears dropping
The flowers blossom after
In her cloudless blue sky
Lisa flies endlessly
Light as a butterfly
Spreading hope around
Far away and near by
SURVIVOR
Fighting a valiant battle
I’m a soldier
Tomorrow
Is a complete mystery
Tantalizing like dark reveries
I’m still me
Not giving up
Into despair and sadness
Every moment
I’m a fighter
And survivor
The pressure
Life taught me
Turns black stones
To brilliant diamantes.
CORONET OF LOVE
Far into the night
The wind blows endlessly
Over the awaking silence
Gropingly,
The strength of the mind
Rips up softly the sky
Reaches the stars above
And the Moon
Venus and Mars
Then…
Amalgamates all
In a Coronet of Love
To shine the World wide
BETWEEN TIGER AND
Galloping the unknown land
Exploring the old times
Tearing the wall of fear
Carving the dream
In a patch of sunlight
I learned how to fight
Like an eagle in the wind
I learned...
To chew the silence and still talk
I learned…
How to heal pain
When a life is lost
I learned
Old wise moon smiles
In the dark end of the sky
Absorbing my thoughts
In this quiet and scary night
Between
I am still awake talking to stars
Praying for the soldiers outside.
LEAVING NO FRIENDS BEHIND
Looking through their eyes
Searching through their heart
I see the light
And, I feel proud
I hear the booms and fights
You’re strong, you still believe
You‘re brave, you have no fear
Out there
In the mercy of bloody nights
With no beginning and no end
Leaving no friends behind
You fighting battles
Under the moonlight
While
I’m sleeping, inside
Thank you soldier, I’m alright…
ENDLESS RIVER
You endless river
Prideful flowing
Through history
And dust storms
Washing away
The blood of civilizations
Bringing life
Through erosions of time
You endless river
Palm trees
Waving at you
Beautiful
As ever
EPHEMERA
In the morning light
I left the dreamboat
Blank out my thoughts
Splashed some water
On my face
In the mirror,
Beguiling smile of another me
Anemic days
With frightened reveries.
Absence of color
Faints hope
In this, three thousand years old place
So real, indeed.
Ephemeral moments
For a while
Then like a starving child
Embracing
The new tomorrows
That will come
In this place
Three thousand years old
Indeed.
POETRY IS…
My Night
When the sleep wanders
My sunrise
In the lazy mornings
My Hideaway
From unbearable noise
My Soothe
When feeling the absence of all
My Peace
When struggling to collect thoughts
My Divinity
That resides within me
My Anthem
Of the Bygones, present and those to come.
CASTELLATED LOVE
On the wings of the butterfly
I will write
The most wonderful words
Words will become flowers
Flowers full of colors
Colors will inspire hope
Hope will survive
It will be alive
With budding dreams…
Zephyr will spoil us
Growing together
Castellated Love
FUTILE DREAM ONLY
Explosions
One after another
Tearing down walls, every obstacle
Pieces of burning fire, flying into infinity
Thick smoke, everywhere
As a prideful soldier
Fighting your own part, of the battle
Shielding your own soul, from cataclysm
You’re there.
Tomorrow stopping by
-What a strange, futile dream – you will say
Once upon a time.
INSOMNIA
In the late hours
Of a crazy night
With dazed thoughts
Battling my mind
I gave up
And
Left for a dream ride…
Will be back with Sunlight.
SOMETIMES & ALWAYS
Sometimes
When the day hobbles
And, can’t walk
Sometimes
When the words are there
And, can’t talk
Sometimes
When the dust obscures the sight
And, can’t see
Sometimes
When the face leads the soul
Let soul, the face be
Sometimes
When mood needs a change
Trying in vain
Always you’re there, with mother’s care
Giving comfort and Love
Easing the pain
FOR (N) EVER
Waking up
On the side of the bed
Dressing up
With closed eyes, accordingly
Fast pace
To catch the time
Having the morning coffee
And a cigarette
Hugging the routine and fear
In the desert
From sunrise to sunset
Culprit for all above
BIZARRE
With a half ether smile
And quiet murmuring
Evading the emptiness
When quelling the fear
In this Hazy World
Timing every prayer
Every breath
With every drip of the I.V.
Thoughts, so delicate
Trapped in spider web
The dream so bizarre
So real, part of life.
INTERLUDE
In a place
Where Palmas grow high
More than anywhere
You feel
The closeness to the sun
You witness
Water velvets of clouds
Heat creates
Thunderstorm and lighting
An interlude…
Challenger of the blazing sun
This time, was the rain.
IRIS
In retrospective
I’m searching
For the falling leaves
And the moments
Under your umbrella
When emotions
Animated the rainy days
And Iris bestow the dream
With different colors
Memories…
Are hunting me
In
Where first Love was named.
AROUND THE SUN
Climbing
The Everest of my life
Fighting
Different, modern wars
I spent dreamless nights
Praying in my knees
Again, I got up
To see with my own eyes
Exodus of my people…
Now, all around the Sun
Only pictures remain
From exhibition of life.
ERUDITE
Because I come
From Eagles land
I refused to be afraid
Twisting the fear
Strangling it to no return
But sometimes
Clenched my hands tightly
Felt weakness…
Rebellious and strong
Right or wrong
Forbid myself feeling down
In a place
With lack of mountains
Reefs of life
Erudite of my time.
SPIRIT STILL ALIVE
Clouds pushing slowly
This morning
I, the robot
Embracing the routine
Locking the fear
In Pandora’s Box
Start a new day
In this old place
Where old temples breathe silently
With their ancient spirit
Still alive.
THIEF OF THE MOMENTS
I frightened the soul of the darkness
Laughed loudly every night
Walking proudly with the moonlight
Waking up stronger each day
To the wonderful corner of mine
Escaping…from nothingness
There where you are
Melting in your delightful smile
Thief of the moments and time
Lost in your gleaming eyes
Just for a while…
Letting all trepidation behind.
ALONG THE WAY
Along the way
Slowly, picked up
Puzzling pieces of life!
Along the way
With friends all around
Met joy and delight!
Along the way
When sky rumbled with thunder
Survived long, crazy nights.
Along the way
Learned patience of a saint
When hope vanished into thin air.
Along the way
Painted sunrises and sunsets
Saved charisma from eloping with them.
UNDER VICTORIOUS UMBRELLA
Leafing through the diary of life
Sometimes skeptical
Handpicking wonderful stars
To find out
The infinity of the Sky
Barefooted walk
Over the broken glass
Strong, fearless holding tight
Under victorious umbrella
Emitting hope and love
As stars do
Embalming every single one
For a differ tomorrow
Still to come.
AWAKE
Snuggled up under cover
Arms around this night of winter
Tired…
Silenced…
Absentminded…
Myself and Fear
We’re still awake.
TRIVIAL
Perplexed…
Fugitive from normality
Ground shaking all around
Days disappear like bubbles
With one little touch
And don’t care much.
SILENT PRAYER
Trained steps on the ground
As calculated
Got Shakespeare
Felt Macbeth’s question or doubt
Far into the East, in desert
Obeying rules of the road
Without asking
Surviving restless, days and nights
With a silent prayer.
WRINKLED PILLOWS
Waking up
Before the sunrise
Want dreams to go on
Under wrinkled pillows
With closed eyes
Eyes first, then the pillows
Or both, for dreams to go on
In the day that follows…
TO HER
You are beautiful!
Taking care of yourself
With taste
The way you walk
Talk
Presenting yourself
With grace
The way you act
Strong, smart
Be proud of yourself
You are beautiful.
THE WINNER
I borrowed,
Lion’s strength to fight
Eagle’s wings to fly
Up in untouched sky
Sun’s fire to burn up
The sinner
Ocean’s water to prepare
My dinner
Mixed all with Illyrian soul
…always a Winner!
“REMAIN UNDER COVER”
Epileptic day
Involuntary movement
In and out of the bunker
To save the soul
Peace,
Moment of comfort
May be a joke or two
You can hear your heart beat
Counting
Until commanding voice
Repeatedly is heard
“Remain under cover”
War is back, Peace is over.
REFUGE IN YOUR HEART
Lucky will be
To find that special key
That will open You, for Me
Then, rake up, like fallen autumn leaves
Your thoughts, your joy, your love, your jealousy.
Lucky will be
To find that special key
That opens your heart, to me
To move in
Refuge!
LIVE PERFORMANCE
Running amok around the stage
Screaming, same words my author wrote
Over and over
Ignoring all audience...but you!
I summed up our wonderful days
Now gone
When in Esperanto
We use to pray together
Fearing
Meteorite may crush any time...
Oh, these moments
Learned, better understood
The worth of simple things
Tonight
Is live performance
And you are my audience
While I am running amok
Around the stage...
GRAVITY
Your silhouette
And I
Side by side
Aimlessly
At night
I am the Moon
You are her light
In my dream
You always step in
Giving me the World
Not whispering a word
Your silhouette and I
Heart of a rover
At night, under the moon light
Gravity takes over.
DECIPHERING THE UNKNOWN
For so long
Marching
Zillion miles of horizon
Through grotesque Yesterdays
Ignoring naively the Tomorrows
Putting in hold
Thoughts, prayers and everything else
Unwinding the hope from the hope itself
Living on this day of Today
Emphatically,
Deciphering the Unknown.
WIND BETWEEN RIVERS
In the world between the rivers
Wind whispers eternally
Bringing closer
The timbre of your voice
Touching softly the soul
Deeper then you always thought
In the world between the rivers
Wind whispers.
NOT
Not defeated,
When rough waters
Try to grab me
To the Unknown.
Not blinded,
When the sand storm
Tries to blur
Vision of Today.
Not mumbled,
When the night
Becomes day light
Waiting.
Not surrendered,
When it’s hard to tie the knots
Of Hope
For Tomorrows to be Born.
‘TILL THE RAIN
Dusty day
Boring as the dandruff
On my shoulders
Puffs of clouds are preparing
To invade the long day ahead
Here and there
And to the farthest corner
Moments are pending
For the rain’s landing.
PAST & PRESENT
Sometimes quizzically lost
I slip in to the Past
Picking up the old memories
Like old fashion clothes
One by one
Dancing silhouettes of
Hope and fear
Joy and sorrow
Hate and Love
Sometimes quizzically lost
I slip in to the Past
To find who I am
In the present.
In the heart of modern days
Between rivers, I am
Standing hereon
Picturing the famed city
Which is now gone,
Between rivers
Standing at ease
I felt the breeze
Of Old
MAGIC CARPET
In the absence of wings (as in old tales!)
From the madness within me
On a magic carpet, I want to fly
Away …to infinity
Tireless, enjoying the freedom of skies
The magic carpet and Me.
FEEL THE RAIN
Early in the morning
Drops of rain
Knocking everywhere
Inviting me to their dance
Up there
Wish be a drop, be one of them
Just one day
To travel where you are, far away
And drop on you
On your hair, on your shoulders, on your lips
Wake you up …Good morning!
Drops of rain
Knocking everywhere
Up there.
LITTLE PEACE
On the lap of
I rested my head.
For a moment, I didn’t bother
Searching for answers, deep in the
I didn’t try
To stop the Sun burning, the wind blowing
Palmas growing…
For a moment, I just set my head
On the lap of
Mind and soul
Making peace with myself
Little peace, in the lap of
DARING TO DREAM
Escaping the usual moments
The enigma of the East
I diarized
The unusual different night of war,
Killing the noise of the blasts
With a pillow,
Fooling myself
Covering outside fires, with my moonlight blanket,
Singing lullabies to the dead, awaking all alive.
I diarized
Dreams scared to death,
Daring
For a new bright
Sunny morning.
OUR DIADEM
Sometimes,
When the days have no names
(pieces of the old
We can listen to the Big-Ben bells
And see
Sailing Venetian lagoon
In a gondola...sometimes,
We can touch Giza Pyramids hot antic stones
Smelling
Amazona’s rain touching our skin.
Forgetting all about Time
We return to the Place of Eden
Where it first started...
‘Cause the beauty of the
Versifying every feeling
Everything.
YOU COULDN’T DO MORE
(Dedicated to NYC 9/11 firefighters)
That nightmare of that Sunny morning...
You, Angels of life, against devils of death
Run towards hell,
To bring hope
To thousands of hands, waving for salvation.
Thousands of souls in your shoulders
Rivers of tears in their eyes.
You,
Faster then the burning sky
Reached the peak
Of the mountain of life.
ILLYRIAN IN
Running the endless race
On and on
Through mystic
On the same ancient footsteps
Of my very own.
On and on, in
A 21st century, never tired Illyrian eagle
Waiting to fly, for a rest
To her warm nest, home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An Albanian poet, Sevdije Rexhepi comes from Gjilan, a picturesque city in Eastern part of Kosova. After she completed her studies in French Language and Literature at the
Published books in albanian:
„Silent Symphony“ - (Simfoni e Heshtur), poems, Gjilan, 2003.
„Hours of Wanting“ - (Orët e Mungesës), poems, Gjilan, 2004.
„Ballad upon Balad“- (Baladë mbi Balad), poems, Prishtinë, 2010.
Anthologies:
„Mosaic of a Portrait“ - (Mozaik të një portreti), Tiranë, 2004.
Published book in english:
„The Sounds of Waterfalls“ - poems, Gjilan, 2004.
„Between Rivers of Babylon” - poems, Prishtinë, 2010.
Prepared by Shefqet Dibrani