a shadow lurking—3 poems | Mitko Gogov

.happy to be part of this eZine, actually beZine.. thanks Michael Dickel! 🙂

The BeZine

“…when you dream, you see the most…”
Oil Pastels ©2023 jsburl

[just a little prayer]

Translated by Tom Phillips

when you’re silent, you say the most,
when you dream, you see the most.

elephants wake to the orchestra inside you
—for the first time the hunters are scared by their own trumpets.

take a look inside yourself while you’re taking care not to
tread on the grass.

in the room there’s the smell of all the nights
we failed to create. the stars fell asleep, waiting
on the floor. there are still traces on the stained tiles, insignificance
like a shadow lurking between outlines.

we will go without getting angry
at the flowers to the dance that turned purple to yellow.
in the night fan we missed another prayer.
—mental dust

which in the cosmos plays out the saddest dream.

winner of the Enhalon prize 2018

---

[само малку молитва]

кога…

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What is the problem with the name Macedonia?!

This map shows the geographic, ethnic, and linguistic region of Macedonia – a fact that has been recognized by everyone at all times, except in the last century or so, when it was purposely obfuscated, as a consequence of the geo-strategic and political interests of the neighboring countries, and the great powers that have supported their policies ever since the end of the Ottoman Empire.

The Macedonian Question was seemingly ‘solved’ with the separation of Macedonia in 1913 between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia (the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after WW1), but was once again brought to the surface with the recognition of the Macedonian people, as a distinct nation, by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, which was in need of manpower for the ongoing revolution.

Although the Yugoslavian national identity was superimposed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonians, just like the other nations within the federation, enjoyed all rights and liberties of being who they are, which was not the case with the Macedonians living in the neighboring countries, and it is still not the case! For instance, Macedonians in Greece are called Slavophone Greeks, and in Bulgaria, they are not allowed to establish their own associations and cherish their own language, tradition, and culture.

Now, the biggest problem emerged when Yugoslavia dissolved, and the part of Macedonia that was once occupied by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and then liberated by its own people, and enjoyed its freedom and peace in a federation with the others, was now an independent nation within the federation!

Just as Yugoslavian was a superimposed national identity to many different peoples, in the same way, the Greek and the Bulgarian national identities have been superimposed over various ethnic groups. The only difference is that the ethnic groups who lived within Yugoslavia enjoyed full recognition of their right to belonging, while the ethnic groups within the other countries had to go through the nation-building processes imposed by their national governments, which were often trying to impose the national identity using Draconian measures. It would be politically correct to say that there has been a serious process of assimilation, and serious violations of human rights, which does not seem to be coming to an end!

Both Greece and Bulgaria, now members of the EU, recognize only religious and linguistic minorities, for them, there are no ethnic groups different than the national. Both have committed serious crimes against humanity in order to instill and maintain the superimposed national identity (population exchanges – Greece dislocated many ethnic Macedonians in Turkey and Bulgaria, and introduced a Greek-speaking population from Asia Minor in the region of Macedonia, later on, the exodus of the innocent population during the Civil War, the change of toponyms and personal names, the political prisoners, both fighting on the side of the Nazis during WW2 etc.) and are further denying the basic human rights to belonging for the ethnic Macedonians who have existed on the territory of Macedonia ever since…

The very existence of Macedonia and Macedonians, for these two countries, undermines all of their nation-building efforts from the previous century, and reveals all atrocities committed in the process! It poses a threat of dissolving their national cohesiveness, which can have serious consequences within their societies, or so they fear. Moreover, it will reveal serious fabrications and frauds committed by third parties, mostly international stakeholders, who have imposed a distorted worldview and have consciously concealed valuable finds to the disadvantage of science, and to the catastrophe of the Macedonian people, as well as the instability of the Balkans as a whole.

The Macedonian Question once resolved, the Balkans will see peace! And the only way to solve this issue is to recognize the truth! And the truth is that we are all human beings and we all have rights! The right to belonging to a national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural group of your own choice and preference is a guaranteed right! It’s the right to identity! Isn’t it? How can then changing my name and identity be a condition for my country to join the ‘more democratic’ EU? How can I accept that as a progressive solution?!

I say I belong to Macedonia, I am Macedonian! It is my own right! You can call the state whatever you like, this is my identity, both ethnic, regional, linguistic, and cultural!

We can discuss the various historical influences and developments, but the fact is that there is a distinct ethnic, linguistic, and regional Macedonian identity that is undeniably witnessed by its rich cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. Macedonia has a story to tell to the world!

Is the world ready to listen?

#EuropeanUnion#EuroepeanCommission#Macedonia#Bulgaria#Greece#MacedonianQuestion#FRSA#UN#CulturalHeritage#UNESCO

Description: Makedonie

Creator: Král z Dobré Vody, Vojtěch

Contibutor: Kančov, Vasil, 1901

via @PeroSardzoski

Mitko Gogov – Sotirios Pastakas | Ι poem

I’m very happy about this collaboration!

εξιτήριον

Talking dust

..we used to play then
who’d stay home longer. you can’t go out
the son says to his father

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Poesie di Mitko Gogov (trad. di E. Mirazchiyska e S.M. Bonin)

via Poesie di Mitko Gogov (trad. di E. Mirazchiyska e S.M. Bonin)

 

:part of my poetry translated into Italian language by Emilia Mirazchiyska & Simone M. Bonin published on Poetarum Silva.

– have a good reading!

Παραβιασμένη θέα (Видиков прелом ), Mitko Gogov (Митко Гогов) | μτφρ. Μαρία Δούμπα

I’m very happy that one of my poems is translated and promoted for first time in Greece. Very grateful to d recognied poet and friend Sotitios Pastakas and to Μαρία Δούμπα for d translation… 🙂

Φτερά Χήνας

(πες μου, μήπως κατά τύχη τις φυλάς τις σχισμένες σελίδες
απ’ τα αγαπημένα βιβλία;)

όνομα ήταν ή περί πράγματος κατάσταση…

τα ξανασχεδιάζω αργά
τα ξεθωριασμένα τατουάζ
τα απ’ τη μέσα μεριά του δέρματος
κρυμμένα.

αγάπες τσακισμένες ή ιερογλυφικά
από περασμένες ζωές,
προτού την καταιγίδα με πονούν,
τα οστά μου κάνουν να στριφογυρίζουν
βροχή σαν να προαναγγέλλουν
από ουρανό γαλήνιο.

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Statement on the Catalan Referendum (PEN International)

PEN International’s Writers for Peace Committee
Statement on the Catalan Referendum

3 October 2017

We, the Writers for Peace Committee of PEN International, express our grave concern over the events that marred the show of democratic will by the people in the recent Catalan referendum. The scenes of armed, masked police officers assaulting peaceful citizens of all ages should be a matter of shame for the Spanish Government, as is the lack of a meaningful response from the Council of the European Union.

The action would be outrageous in any society; however, this is especially so in a country that has prided itself on emerging as a democracy from dark days of civil war and dictatorship. As Writers for Peace, we are deeply concerned that the political and actual wounds of those decades should not be re-opened.

We deplore the violence used by the forces of the Spanish state against the people of Catalonia on 1 October 2017.

We believe that a dispute between governments can never be a just reason for unleashing violence on peaceful citizens seeking to give their opinion through voting. Neither can an order from a court be the reason to use excessive force to prevent the free and legitimate expression of dissent. We believe that in this case, the force used was excessive.

We demand that the right to freedom of expression, whether it is exercised through voting, speaking or writing, be respected by all branches of state authority. We call on all EU Institutions and in particular on the European Parliament to remind Spain of the limits that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights put on its actions.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Le Comité des écrivains pour la paix de P.E.N. International
Déclaration du Comité pour la paix de P.E.N. International sur le référendum catalan

Les membres du Comité pour la paix de P.E.N. International expriment leur profonde préoccupation devant les événements qui ont entaché l’expression de la volonté démocratique de la population lors du récent référendum catalan.
Nous sommes convaincus que même les questions clés comme celle de savoir si le référendum peut constituer une base légitime de changement constitutionnel devraient faire l’objet de négociations entre les représentants élus des autorités des deux parties et que les conflits entre leurs gouvernements ne peuvent servir de prétexte pour envoyer des forces paramilitaires sur des citoyens pacifiques qui cherchent à exprimer leurs points de vue dans le processus électoral. Nous croyons également qu’une décision judiciaire ne peut justifier l’utilisation de la violence dans le but d’empêcher la libre expression des citoyens ayant des opinions différentes.

Nous condamnons la violence déclenchée le 1er octobre 2017 par les forces espagnoles contre le peuple catalan. Les scènes de policiers armés, masqués et anonymes attaquant des citoyens non-violents de tous âges devraient être un déshonneur pour le gouvernement espagnol, de même que pour les tribunaux et le Conseil de l’Union européenne. Un tel acte est scandaleux dans toute société, de surcroît dans un pays qui est fier de ses acquis démocratiques après la sombre période de la guerre civile et de la dictature. Les écrivains du Comité pour la paix souhaitent ardemment que les blessures des dernières décennies ne soient pas rouvertes.
Nous exigeons que toutes les branches du pouvoir respectent le droit à la liberté d’expression, qu’il s’agisse d’élections, de discours ou d’écrits.
Les membres du Comité pour la paix de P.E.N. International appellent les États membres de l’Union Européenne à rappeler à l’Espagne le comportement qui est dicté par la Charte des droits fondamentaux et par la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme.

Marjan Strojan,
Président du Comité des écrivains pour la paix du P.E.N. International

___________________________________________________________________________________

Комитетот на писатели за мир на Меѓународниот П.Е.Н. центар
Изјава за каталонскиот референдум

3 октомври 2017 година

Ние, Комитетот на писатели за мир на Меѓународниот П.Е.Н., ја изразуваме нашата голема загриженост за настаните кои го нарушија демонстрирањето на демократската волја од страна на народот на неодамнешниот каталонски референдум. Сцените на вооружени, маскирани полицајци, кои напаѓаат мирни граѓани од сите возрасти, треба да бидат срам за шпанската Влада, како и недостатокот на значаен одговор од Советот на Европската Унија.

Акцијата би била срамота во секое општество; сепак, ова е особено така во земја која се гордееше да се промовира како демократска, особено по мрачните денови на граѓанската војна и диктатура. Како писатели за мир, длабоко сме загрижени дека политичките и актуелните рани од тие децении не треба да бидат повторно отворени.

Ние го осудуваме насилството што го користеле силите на шпанската држава против луѓето од Каталонија на 1 октомври 2017 година.

Ние веруваме дека спорот меѓу владите никогаш не може да биде праведна причина за реализирање на насилство врз мирни граѓани кои сакаат да го дадат своето мислење преку гласање. Ниту наредбата од судот не може да биде причина да се користи прекумерна сила за да се спречи слободното и легитимно изразување на несогласување. Ние веруваме дека во овој случај, употребената сила беше прекумерна.

Бараме правото на слобода на изразување, без разлика дали се остварува преку гласање, зборување или пишување, да се почитува од сите гранки на државната власт. Ги повикуваме сите институции на ЕУ, а особено Европскиот парламент да ја потсети Шпанија за ограничувањата што ги поставија Повелбата на ЕУ за основните права и Европската конвенција за човекови права.

Марјан Стројан,
Претседател на Комитетот за мир на писателите на Меѓународниот П.Е.Н. центар

___________________________________________________________________________________

My comment:

We all share the compassion and the deep revolt produced by watching the pain inflicted by the “form” of police brutality, or with the way how democracy is crumbling worldwide. The least we can do is to make open call like this, in a peaceful way, for clearing all the problems of this type. Barbarism should not be a trend of the 21st century, on the contrary … As much as we speak about peace, justice and sustainability, what we see is totally the opposite. We became from day to day, more and more bad version of humanity. Stay blessed and thanks for this very important PEN statement!

 

Michael Rothenberg and Mitko Gogov

The Forgotten Retort between Two Gazes

Source: Michael Rothenberg and Mitko Gogov