Poems by Nikolina Andova Shopova 

BREAD
 
Can I eat
this plane sandwich
that my sister left
when returning from her journey


This sandwich which has flown
over two continents and one ocean
which has flown far more than I will ever
walk or swim


Maybe I will taste a little of the clouds
if I try this bread
which has been higher than the land beneath it
higher than all states, cities and people
with invisible edges and borders
Which has been higher than all heights
I will ever reach
like the grains of wheat in it that have seen more
than the pilots, the stewardesses
and all the passengers
under the plane
Will my stomach digest
the whole sky
if I eat
this simple bread 
 
Translated from Macedonian by Gorjan Kostovski

IN MY BODY 
 
I am a tourist in my body 
and I have no map in my hands
Someone that will accidentally pass by
will show me the way to the museum quarter 
to the large parks, the square 
to the river that flows in my name 
What do I do in the meantime 
I'm drinking macchiato in a quiet coffee bar
and thumbing through the daily newspapers 
written in a language I never learned 
Always, I remember, when I would be returning from a trip 
the sky would brighten, the sun would fall on the marble angels 
and only then would I notice
the smiles on their faces
 
Translated from Macedonian by Katerina Tanovska
 
 
 
 

Nikolina Andova Shopova (1978) – poet and prose author. She has published two books of poetry and two novels. Her first poetry book was awarded with the prestigious Bridges of Struga Award of UNESCO and the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival. In 2019 she received the Novel of the Year Award for her first novel Someone Was Here, awarded by the Slavko Janevski Foundation for promotion of cultural values. She also writes short stories and picture books for children.
 
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