selection from “Vigils”

And Izrailka too has a tale to tell
in the Family Tree in song, caustic soap against rust
and bleach from lightning. A big pot boils up
to the heavens among the clouds, the wild mint flowers.
We have trodden the lowlands of Wallachia and cast
a wise word each into the book of the word
and what is written down for a man
in his star, that happens to him
on earth. In the green light of dawn
fair Rada climbs the Tree, fairer is she than magic,
the magic of day releases her. From Ivan in battle
there was left a sword and a password.
After a thousand years a free body
is heard now in the song of all together
both at marriages and at funerals
Danailka culls the herbs of memories
and when the name of the sun
was spoken in vain at that time,
we cocked our rifles and we set again
the clock of those times and the Tree
sprouted on the battlefield
over the seas and on the ships
and our tree grew
to the end of the world
and extended the world to infinity.