by Ndue Ukaj
The Emigrant
He has only questions, his answers so very timid
In dirty pockets with concreted nostalgia.
He has only memories that surround his neck
Like the millstone they shake him one step forward and a few backward,
While caressing in torrential waterfall,
And kidnapping the time which he never sees.
The time that he only dreams in endless nights.
He is not one of those below the sky full of storms,
Where he walks, where he eats, where he makes love and seating.
The fatherland of birds is the sky
Of the fish is the sea
Of the emigrant is sorrow
Which is multiplied like clouds in the turbulent sky.
On the unkown roads, nostalgia shifts
While serching for one amid endless zeroes.
Odissey’s testament is burning in his hand,
And coal threaten fire; like tropical rays
Toward the missed Ithaca he directs his eyes
And he is exhausted day and night.
He migrates on the roads of sadness
And is covered with the quilt of Promised Land,
And every night dreams the same dream. The return to number one.
While the desert oasis swallows his aspirations, and memories.
Causing deep desperation to the Emigrant.
With the sack of sorrow travels through the roads of hope
Awating decisions to become as number one, in the endless zeroes
Every day waits for him the unknown in the forest of desires
Where it is relaxing, the soft vision and the deep meditation.
Like a freezing bird is searching the nest of hope.
And is covered with the quilt of Promised Land.
(Inspired by the book of Milan Kundera: “The ignorance”)
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ABOUT THE POET ~
Ndue Ukaj (1977) is an Albanian writer, publicist, and literary critic. He was a member of several editorials literary. He has also been editor of the magazine for art, culture and society "Identity" that was published in Pristina. Ukaj is included in several anthologies of poetry, in Albanian, and other languages. He has published books of poetry, shorts story, literature criticism, essay including “Godo is not coming”, which won the national award for best book of poetry published in 2010 in Kosovo. He has also won the award for best poems in the International Poetry Festival in Macedonia. Hi won also PRIZES 2013: The International Best Poets, Translators, Critics, and Poetry Magazines, Selections of Poems, IPTRC in Chines and Creativity prizes' in Naji Naaman's Literary Prizes 2016., His poems and texts are translated into English, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish, and Chinese. Ukaj is a member of the Swedish PEN., Books:, "The Biblical Discourse in the Albanian Literature", AIKD; Kosovë 2004, "The Waterfall of Metaphors", M&B, Albania, 2008, "Arka e shpëtimit", Drita, Kosovë, 2012, "Gjithmonë diçka mungon", OM, Kosovë, 2017., "Krijimi i dashurisë", përzgjedhje poetike, botuar nga Festivali Ndërkombëtar i Poezisë "Ditët e Naimit", 2017, Tetovë, "Ismail Kadare: Kryqëzime leteare dhe kulturore", Onufri, 2019, "Mbretëria e ëndrrave", Onufri, 2021, Books in English, "Ithaca of the Word", translated by Peter Tase, published by Lulu Enterprises, USA 2010, "Godo is Not Coming" translated by Peter Tase, Lulu Enterprises, USA 2010, Book in Spanish, "Godo no viene", translated by Peter Tase, Lulu Enterprises, USA, 2010.
Last updated September 27, 2011