Image: Unsplash, downloaded https://unsplash.com/photos/St44E3LluvU (16.5.2021.)
In the eye of the other: London post-Brexit
The city dreams on Tranquil Vale O čemu ovaj grad sanja?
velvet tones Zvukovi se spuštaju na vodu poput
landing on the waters in Lisson Street baršuna
je ne sais pas, l’eau est troublante ici
A touch of rubine beauty on Adelaide Street Zrnce ljepote pada
descending slowly towards Duncannon Street
moving to city rooftops, terraces na tuđe gradske krovove, dvorišta
in Orange Street
Verticals in longing, sleepless fountains Verticales du désir qui ne nous
on Vigo Street appartiennent pas
espaces perdus des fontaines
insomniaques
on Old Compton Street opulent gardens,
traces of wild jasmine and thyme Bujni vrtovi zarobljeni
iza zatvorenih vrata
traces de souvenirs, le jasmin,
le thym de notre enfance
landing on dreamers’ lips in Lisle Street ne s’abandonnent pas aux lèvres
des rêveurs
In the shadows of silent bells on Islington High
Street U sjeni nijemih zvona
muses, abandoned, ready to die muses délaissées spremne na
vječni san
on Malvern Street
The city is taking thoughts into its hands Grad nas ne prihvaća u svoje ruke
in Toynbee Street
exhaling on Elizabeth Street Izdišemo polako
it sleeps in the Inner Temple Gardens pendant que la cité dort tranquillement
lungs resting in Lee Terrace à bout de souffle nos poumons
Quiet arches on shadowy squares Tragaju za nama pod tihim
svodovima sjenovitih trgova
in Queensway
open their hearts to passers-by naša srca
on Old Street naša tijela
not ready for the bodies nespremna za njihove prostore
on North End
spaces on Sandy Road Mi nismo osvajači gradova
of the city’s invaders on Oxford Street
It awakes, breaths in Islington Green elle se réveille, respire
hearts pumping in High Holborn naša srca umiru
cranes move like spiders on Cannon Street dok se dizalice kreću
poput pauka
City folk in Canonbury i ljudi iz Cityja
rush into their everyday lives žure u svoju svakodnevicu
on Ravenscroft Street
convinced they hold the answers
to global truths nisu nam dostupne globalne istine
on Columbia Road
The city on Tooting High Street leur cité, njihov grad
retells its stories backwards
on the Regent’s Canal prepričava naše priče unatrag
to those on Tavistock Square
whose tongues on Woburn Walk nos parlers intraduisibles
cannot be translated into the straight lines pensées symétriques
of city’s avenues on Carnaby Street avenues urbaines
narratives in Newport Street narrations de l’autre
folding memories on Calvert Avenue Njihov grad rastvara naša sjećanja
historical dust on Hercules Road poussières d’histoire
lost in time-space of Little Venice izgubljenih u prostoru-vremenu
birds sit in stillness about to fly away neke ptice nepomično sjede
on Brick Lane
undoing sounds on Ulysses Road le mythe d’Ulysse se défait devant nous
of a distant melody from Old Naval College davna melodija kolonijalnih vremena
Faces on Fortune Green Gardens Nečija lica
looking up
sky above Lymington Road regardent en-haut
About the author: Jasmina Bolfek-Radovani is a London-based multilingual and international poet of mixed heritage (Croatian/Algerian) born in Zagreb. Her multilingual poems in English, Croatian and French have been published in literary magazines and journals in the UK, Canada and Croatia. In 2017, she developed a multilingual poetry project “Unbound” that received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Language Acts and Worldmaking Small grants programme in 2018 and 2019. As part of “Unbound”, she (co-)directed several multilingual poetry performances and recitals entitled “Reveries about Language / Rêveries autour de la langue / Sanjarenje o jeziku” (Pinter Studio, Queen Mary University of London, 20 March 2019; Worldmaking Live Festival, 3 June 2019, King’s College London). The last multilingual poetry recital planned in Zagreb on 19 March 2020 was postponed because of COVID-19; instead, it took place online on 11 December 2020. Jasmina has given talks and published essays on her multilingual poetry practice. She has a doctorate (PhD) in French Literary and Cultural Studies. More information about her poetry work and activities can be found at: https://minabolfekradovani.com.
