Un-

Below the hospital bed
there was a hot circle of blood.

A forehead on her forehead
a palm on her palm

the Polish song on the radio next to
forgotten babushkas in the room down the hall

with the door notice  “Visitors after five”
or staring at the cyrillic letters on

the chocolate boxes the magnolia pots
on the terraces the wet laundry

spread on the strings and sparkling
antennas on high roof tops

could hardly transmit the warmth
she used to feel in her womb.

 

 

 

Afrodita Nikolova, 24, is a Macedonian award-winning writer for the poetry book “Omaynina” (2010) and edits the literary booklet “Sh”. Her poetry’s included in The Anthology of Young Macedonian Avant-garde Poetry (2012) and The Cambridge Student; “Notes”, the Oxbridge magazine; Ancient Heart, 2012/2013.
blog: http://afroditanikolova.blogspot.co.uk/