L For a memory of X

L.

L is a lid
-L is lit
before light:
but a late librarian of lyrics
liable even life to lend

L is not an abrupt inflection of levity
but a lampoon of a bad shampoo advert.

L is a leaf
not a liver
L is left to shiver in leather wrapped lies
L is a left-handed lass
L is lust:

but the last lost in the dust.

Lest I forget

[...] Read more

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

Different

We were born from poppies. Our skins breathed like the stalks
of our birth givers. Our hairs grew and intertwined.

We were born from poppies. Our skins breathed always
differently, our eye blinked always differently and
we differently counted steps
childlike and pebbles
in little shoes, differently
burned our vocal fires and the letters
we folded differently in different colours
with different post stamps, floral oral tongues
we spoke, the children watched us, we counted,
the river knew, we counted memories and images.
How many images and memories?

We were born by our river in the fragrance of earth and grass
sweated out of the warm womb of cloying red poppies.

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

Unhinge

Unhinge the photographs
we licked as
children
tongues in Sarishvili
unhinge
the dead foxes in photographs
kids
that talk Swahili and eat jam.
Jam and Persian ponies-
If I tell you there's no traffic
jam at 4 am in Skopje or no jam in jars, hot suns and super-novas
Will you eat
Me up?
Like air-
Unhinge paper clips or just an eye-lash
and indigo photographs of Romania
In 1963
If I tell you there's no earth-
quakes,
Unhinge Vlach alphabet, breaths caught on cameras

[...] Read more

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

Biology

Lizards
are
cold-
blooded
and conditioned to move
sleek
through
your
fingers.

He opened
two
yellow
disconcerting
eyes:
lips, fists, skin, palms, elements, toes, mountain tops, lips
strings, teeth, voice, muscles, corals, a couple in a boat lost, sea surface, someone's grandmother's tattoo, a child's back, or a nose of a rabbit or a twenty-footed starfish,
eyes:

tightened.

[...] Read more

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

Quiz Poem

I arrived at the party:

a) in my innocent night white dress
b) to deny the rumor I heard, moi a little nerd
c) in the hottest lingerie(God forbid all the guys to be gay)
d) with a ray of mum's perfume: the play of day, the day of smell,
the smell of grass, the grass of green yard behind my house,
the house of my home had a dome of flowers, flowers of her mouth

Everybody looked:

a) at me
b) in tune with Prodigy, jolly, junky
c) not as sad as the girl who said:
, , his ex is still his best sex on X'
d) strange sensations seeped in my mouth,
sour as wine, never drank by my dad, violet-red, as my doll's hair,
her thighs, eyes, curls, hushed the fairest hair.

I went to the bar:

[...] Read more

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

The Coquette

Girl, oh girl,
I can see you
in the wintry morning
as you go out
hurrying
with the copper bracelets’ sound
your hair surmounts your tiny head,
your hair,
coarse like horse’s mane
black hairs cutting the air
as you look in the mirror
for the last time
before you lе а ve.
Girl, I can see you
with the lipstick,
idolizing your mouth,
full shiny mouth,
your high heels tempt the stairs
as you descend,
Girl, I know you,

[...] Read more

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!

Woman Is Fire

There was a time when Woman went out of house, house of wax was left by Woman, Woman with waxen complexion I was, I was fiery Woman, Woman's body was a wax, Woman's eyes a flammable paraffin, what Woman's mouth was: withered red apples when Woman was fired out of house. House was invisible when Woman took a fire lamp and went to cheer in the smell of fallen apples, scattered around house, our moldy house. In the cold night Woman molded her body in a candle mould to revive old fire and saw Man that gathered apple stalks from moldy apple trees. It was a lonely man, Man that made a fire with waxed paper and moldering apple stalks. Man that sat outdoors on a moldy wooden bench by that fire and drunk applejack.
Woman saw Man, Man that felt Woman's looks through apple shaped embers bursting out of fire when wet apple leaves dried. Fire was a necessity for Man, for Man made his living being a fire-eater. The fire-eater wanted fire that gives birth, of fireworks, exploding fire. Man moved a long green apple stalk through fire to burn fire more. Man took a dropp and swallowed it. Man took another dropp and spat it into the fire. Suddenly Man realized what he needed and waxed on a piece of paper: fire must drink applejack for fire is becoming moldy, and he spat what he drunk mingled with apple-tasting spit. House is moldy too, Woman remembered and woman's heart became a rotten apple.. Fire was quenching as Woman closed her eyelids, apple peels, longing for house. House may be moldy, but house is not empty. Woman molded house the like, house full of candle lights and fireflies. Woman left Man's fire quenched and remained an apple scented candle. House melts easily and hardens quickly, Woman too. Woman abandoned Man not to be melt. That is old fire in Woman, as she stalks on apple waxed earth toward house.

poem by Afrodita Nikolova
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!