Two Poems by Tanja Ajtic

Eternal Curse

We like to emphasize splendor, significance, reputation and fame 

rather than modesty, contrition and true love. 

We want to give one thing a relief that catches the eye, 

to be particulary emphasized. 

And if we have relief maps, we don't know how to measure. 

We wander and saunter at night. 

At night without dreams. 

We postpone forgiveness and omissions. 

We are postponing our payment deadline, 

we also want to have a discount while we are paying, 

and we would like to do everything to make it cheaper. 

And paradise is not bought but deserved. 

If we return everything we took 

and wish forgiveness of sins, mercy and forgiveness, 

to be forgiven we will feel the same. 

After the main flowering, the flowers will bloom once again. 

And we will survive. 

Like being born again

the revival of classical antiquity 

or more precisely freedom 

and the creative human spirit under the influence of classical literature, 

of art and philosophy in the Renaissance. 

We will renew our lives 

and fix and change it for the better. 

We will refresh and rejuvenate. 

We will look at hummingbirds that have bigger brain

in relation to the body of other birds. 

Heart too. 

These birds can fly 

in all directions, as they please! 

They can live for a long time by feeding on 

flower nectar and candied water. 

We, like them, are small but a lot is expected of us.

Rejection and refusal, 

as a musical repetition of the same tone, the 

opposite is an echo. 

Everything will resonate. 

Rejection and refusal happen to us 

like breaks in a circus that clowns fill with their jokes. 

We avoid the eternal curse 

because there is always hope for a corrective exam 

and a place under the sun for us. 

We can be dignified, 

be those who produce again, 

which recreate. 

We can multiply and experience 

content to revive consciousness,

get a good voice again

for the person and respect, reputation and name.

It is never too late for natural things 

to make us feel better. 

It's all in us 

in our big hearts in the body of a small hummingbird.

We have everything you need! 

Naturally!

□

 

Oh, Love 

 

Oh, love, almighty love, 

you who lift us up 

to the heavenly heights 

and the one who breaks us on 

hard ground, scatter us. 

 

Oh, love, strong sincere love, 

where we surrender before you, 

where all the secrets we reveal, 

where we become innocent, 

children. 

 

Love, where everything revolves around us, 

both the world and we in the world, 

in a whirlwind, in happiness indescribable, 

in the sorrow we haven't gotten over you 

hold us and with a scream of pleasure 

you fill our chests 

and with a scream of pain we die with you. 

Oh, love... 

 

There's no indifference there, 

no mediocrity, no lies, 

sincere love, 

there's no pretending, 

there we get crushed by emotions, 

passion, 

there we completely give ourselves, 

there we give ourselves in eruptions 

of all we have ever felt. 

 

Love, you who move the world, 

you who are the originator of everything, 

someone and sin, 

you rule hearts 

and we cannot resist you... 

Because we always want you, love. 

 

And you come suddenly, 

you come when we don't expect you, 

there, around the corner, 

you're lurking and when you meet us, 

when you surprise us, 

to you we are left only, 

and ready to everything share 

with the other 

loved being, 

we are ready for sacrifices 

and heroism, 

for great words that come 

from our lips, 

from our belly and heart, 

from the throat, from the body, 

in vibrating sounds, 

in a time that cannot be 

waited any more, 

we're eager to see what brings 

a new day, and this now, 

this now in love, 

in this present time 

of, maybe, losers... 

 

Oh, love, 

almighty love, 

mercy we ask you for, 

may your light last 

as long 

as possible 

in this, our, darkness. 

□

© Tanja Ajtic

Serbia/Canada

tajtic@gmail.com

Tanja Ajtic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. She lived and studied in Serbia at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade. Since 2002, she lives and creates in Canada, Vancouver. Moved to Belgrade, Serbia in summer 2023. She is a member of many groups and associations. Her poems and stories have been published two hundred collections (books), anthologies, electronic books and magazines. Her poems have been published in English, Serbian, Chinese, Croatian, Iraqi, Bengali, Indian, Bulgarian, Tunisian, Arabic and Spanish. In the spring of 2018, at the "Pegasus" competition of the Literary Youth of Serbia, Belgrade, she won the award for printing the first book of poetry "Outlines of Love". Her book was exhibited at the Book Fair in 2018 in Belgrade, as well as at the Book Salon in Toronto in 2019. She is represented in the Anthology among the 30 best writers for 2020 by the Association of Writers of Australia. She won first place, the award of authors from abroad in the Federation of BiH (2020) and the second prize in Great Britain from the Serbian Library in London. Participated in book fairs with collections and anthologies with other authors. Won III World Prize for Excellence "Cesar Vallejo" 2021 in the category of artistic excellence, Peru, by the World Spanish Union of Writers and International Award of Excellence, "Cita Del Galateo" Antonio De Ferrariis, IX edition 2022 – Rome, Italy, prestigious prize for a group of poets in the English language; winners of Foundation Naji Naaman literary prize 2023; winning the 2023 “Zheng Nian Cup” Literary Award – Third Prize by the Beijing Mindfulness Literature Museum. She is the winner of many awards, diplomas and certificate. She is currently writing poetry, short stories, haiku, gogyoshi poetry as well as graphics artist as a freelance artist. Hers art graphic were published in books and magazines.