Ardita Jatru writes

25

I left 

and by my eyes I measured the way to the sky 

because there I had to go 

and I went with noise without knowing the path that leads over

there. 

I walked and I have found myself in front of a church 

and I went inside. 

There were just me and the priest 

and some lit candles for wishes, prayers 

and souls of the dead. 

I sat in a corner 

and saw the dome of the church that was ascending 

and getting up until it was open, became a celestial hole 

and then the rain fell on me and I thought of you.

And I was back again. 

I opened the door 

and we were unable to say a word 

but we were drowned into kisses by nails΄ hooks 

and you held me tight in your chest 

then we both cried 

and with a voice as were from the bottom of the sea 

I said to you: I don’t want to go anymore! 

And we were wrapped up by our shell, we closed it up 

and we remembered the beautiful things 

and the tomorrow weather, we thought, what color would  it have?

You went silently 

You always do your things silently 

I am the confusion. 

You closed the door slightly behind 

and what happened to you then I do not know 

but I know about myself, that I was hidden inside of cigarette

smoke 

until you came back again. 

You appeared at the door as good breaking news 

in the midst of mourning. 

You had dissipated the smoke by your breath 

and the same thing happened again. 

We were drowned into kisses, 

you held me tight in your chest till an "oh" 

and we dangled on our arms as though exhausted

then we laughed it up with ourselves as it was all a joke 

and suddenly you got a serious look 

and in a watery look as a delicate baby you said: 

I don’t want to go away from you!

Until one day neither of us had guts to escape. 

We changed the lock. 

We set the key. 

We weren’t young anymore.

 

 --tr. Laureta Petoshati

 

Camera degli Sposi, Castello di San Girogio, Mantova -- Andrea Mantegna