Remnants of Another Age

Born 1973 in a family of Balkan Wars refugees, Nikola Madzirov’s poetry has already been translated into thirty languages and published in collections and anthologies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. A regular participant in international literary festivals, he has received several international awards including an International Writing Program fellowship at the University of Iowa. Remnants of Another Age is his first full-length American collection and will carry a Foreword by Carolyn Forche who writes, “Nikola Madzirov’s Remnants of Another Age is aptly titled, as these poems seem to spring from elsewhere in time, reflective of a preternaturally wise and attentive sensibility. As we read these poems, they begin to inhabit us, and we are the better for having opened ourselves to them. Madzirov is a rare soul and a true poet.”

“Presence”

Put on the space suit of the night
and slice the apple in two
without damaging the seeds.
Stop on the quiet bridge
and let your shadow float away.
Cup your hands above your head
like a crystal wineglass
and wait for the first drops of rain
when the pilotless aircraft depart.
Be a dream, a mezzanine,
sesame seeds at the bottom of the package,
A ‘deer’ sign by the road, an alphabet
known to only two people—
you and the one who doesn’t believe you.
Be alone, but not lonely,
so that the sky can embrace you,
so that you can embrace the lonely earth.

Praise for Remnants of Another Age

“These poems move mysteriously by means of a profound inner concentration, giving expression to the deepest laws of the mind. Their linguistic ‘making’ is informed by and vivid evidence of a serious self-making, soul-making, and heart-making. We are lucky to have these English incarnations of Nikola Madzirov.”—Li-Young Lee

Publication Date: March 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-934414-50-7

© BOA Editions, Ltd. 2011