Poems by Julijana Velichkovska

My heart is shown on the National Geographic Channel


My heart
is a dolphin
mad
from the harsh training
it has escaped.
My heart
is a monkey
sad
from the Hollywood circus
it was expelled from.
My heart -
- a chameleon…
It is your harpoon
that delights it,
it is your vector
that assures it,
in colours of ash
it melts,
from a nuclear waste
it originates…
My heart
in  gas chambers
produces not blood,
but poison gases.



​
Open book
 
You’re an open book,
he said,
You’re a cactus in the shape of
a heart,
you’re a cat
alone and wet from the October rains…
You’re a book,
he said,
A beautiful, special book,
which I read only when it rains,
while listening to jazz …
You’re a book,
that I love to read,
that I choose to read
for holidays
for special occasions…
You’re a book
on my FB Books Tab.
You’re an illustrated book
an illustrated book of poetry.
You’re a wet book,
dowsed by the October rains
and frosted 
at dawn…
You’re a crumpled, lone, sad special book
standing by yourself on the bookshelf
I bought it just for you,
he said,
I bought the shelf in London.
You’re a book 
for special occasions
I read you when I like to treat myself
but you won’t leave me alone…
You have that scent…
That smell of rotting flowers
wet paper…
You call me,
you want me to read you on a normal day?
I took you from the shelf
and you were soaked
but there was no rain today
My dear, salty lonesome book
I’ll open you
tomorrow…
I’ll read you
the day after tomorrow…
I’ll read you
in two
or three days…
And then, my book…
I’ll just return you
to the library…

Julijana Velichkovska was born in Skopje - Macedonia, 1982. She is an author of three books: a monograph Twenty Years of Velestovo Poetry Night (2009, VPN), a poetry collection Mosquitoes (2010, VPN) and a novel – Seasons (2014 and 2015 - 2nd edition, PNV Publications).  
She writes poetry, prose and she is a translator.
Her poetry is translated in Chinese, English, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Dutch, Albanian, Czech and Italian language.  
Her poetry was also published in many anthologies of Macedonian contemporary poetry published in Macedonia, Serbia, Czech Republic and Italy, as well as one world contemporary poetry anthology published in China. 
Julijana Velichkovska is a board member of the international poetry festival Velestovo Poetry Night – Ohrid. She is a member of the Macedonian Writers' Association. She is the founder of the publishing house PNV Publications in Skopje, Macedonia.

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