It is good to have goals. Even better to meet them. But some goals are better met only half way, especially when they are seemingly existential, when one strives to fulfill them believing they are what makes (good) life possible. The poetry of Branimir Dropuljić, a young Croatian poet, is subtly subversive in undermining this good, proper, goal-oriented life by revealing it as void, a blank. It matters very little if one's life can fit into a cardboard box or into a new apartment if it turns out that in reality this box, this apartment, actually remains empty.
Born 1983 in Varaždin, Branimir Dropuljić holds a doctorate in computer sciences. His scientific work is focused on speech analysis and affective computing, and his poems have been published in a number of online journals, as well as in Poezija magazine.
Branimir Dropuljić rođen je 7. studenog 1983. godine u Varaždinu. Diplomirao je i doktorirao na Fakultetu elektrotehnike i računarstva u Zagrebu, gdje živi i radi. Autor je preko 20 znanstvenih radova u području analize govora i afektivnog računarstva. Pjesme su mu objavljene u časopisu Poezija. Ovdje vam donosimo tri njegove pjesme - u izvorniku i prevedene na engleski - u kojima se na osebujan način bavi poetikom praznine ili poetikom novogradnje.
Na krovovima
stan nema jasne zidove oni odbacuju intimu susreću se med na tegli nije problem, ljepljivost nije problem i ljube se, naposljetku tonu ispod kiše, krovova do svojih nepremostivih razlika
On the Rooftops
apartments don't have clearly defined walls
they reject intimacy
they meet and mingle
honey on the jar is not a problem, stickiness is not a problem
so they kiss, at last
sink
under the rain,
the rooftops
all the way down to their
irreconcilable differences
Tepih
tepih na estrihu boja bijele kave kava blago razlivena između nas sjediš skuhala si čimulice po cijelom stanu imamo te zidove nemamo vrata one ulaze direktno u knauf nikad neće izaći koliko god se trudili s lavandom
*
otiremo cipele pri izlasku iz stana još imamo papuče za svaku prostoriju još imamo ideja kako napraviti prozore i kako ostati ovdje nismo gotovi pušit ću nargilu, stvoriti svoj ritual ostajemo
*
bossa nova crveni radio tepih skuhat ću kavu s četiri žlice sjedit ćemo i ne uspoređivati umore
Our Carpet
our carpet on the floating floor
the color of latte
latte lightly spilt between us
you sit
you've cooked collard greens all over the place
we have these walls
we have no doors
the odor permeates the drywall
and will never come out
no matter how much we try
to kill it with lavender
*
we wipe our shoes exiting the apartment
still have slippers for every room
still
have ideas
how to make windows
and how to stay here
we're not done yet
I'll smoke a hookah, create a ritual of my own
we stay
*
bossa nova red radio carpet
I'll make coffee with four spoonfuls
we'll sit
and not compare our fatigues
Izgradit ću balkon
izgradit ću balkon kad se malo odmorim mora postojati način da se proširi beton produži u moj zaslužen doprinos zgradi da se odmorim izvedem sebe, radnika vrijedim na odmoru sam izgradit ću nama balkon bit će to i tvoj balkon, naš puno vrijedimo
I'll Build a Balcony
I'll build a balcony
as soon as I rest a bit
there must be a way to expand the concrete
extend it into my well-deserved contribution to the building
there must be a way to rest
take myself, a worker, out
I'm worth it
I'm on vacation
I'll build us a balcony
it'll be your balcony too, ours
we're worth it
we're worth a lot
Translated by NG&ORwDAC
