LOVERS DEPART

by Violeta Zlatareva


Now it's my turn. Pain comes
in the fragile shoes of misplaced trust.
There's something to lose, but can we
even say that we've gained anything?
The city's crows circle like in a fairytale.
A fair-skinned girl watches them, amazed.
The beggar in the corner falls into panic
for her delicate, pink bow and goldish hair.
The boulevard buzzes with cars and money,
everyone involuntarily breathes in other people's thoughts.
Cigarettes lie moistened deeply in my coat,
ready for death whenever I desire.
Now it's my turn. A red light
tells me I can leave forever,
but a few honks suddenly stop me
and I understood—the girl had left before me.


* * * * *

Violeta Zlatareva was born in 1992 in Velingrad, Bulgaria. She is the author of Whale Academy, a collection of short stories published by Ars in 2021 and adapted and presented by the theater Via Verde. Her second book, Register Misfortunes,  was released in September 2023. Her work has appeared in a variety of print and electronic media, as well as poetry collections and anthologies such as Flight, Magic in Green, Poetry Against the War, and others. She has received national and regional literary honors.