Literary Corner
School Visit from Poet Dumitru Crudu
On Thursday, May 19, Moldovan poet Dumitru Crudu came to read his poems and speak to the IGCSE students. Crudu has written more than 20 books of poetry, prose, and plays, and his works have been translated in eight languages. He is founder of the Fracturism literary movement, one of the most important movements of Romanian contemporary literature. He also runs the literary workshop "Vlad Iovita", where he teaches best writing practices to aspiring poets.
Bullets
By Dumitru Crudu
(translated from Romanian by Cristina Dicusar)instead of water in Mariupol, bullets
instead of buds on branches in Mariupol, bullets,
instead of birds flying over Mariupol,
bullets,
bullets that roar and bark and moo, and
scream, and bite,
instead of stars in the sky in Mariupol, bullets
instead of letters, bullets,
instead of good morning
bullets
instead of bread,
bullets
instead of soup,
bullets,
instead of a gate you can open
bullets
instead of forgiveness
bullets
for they could have forgiven all,
but bullets
instead of forgiveness
bombs
instead of forgiveness
for they could have forgiven
those who kill them
but
bullets and bombs
instead of pity
and forgiveness
only bullets, bombs and missiles
instead of mercy and forgiveness and love
instead of a bottle of wine,
bullets
bullets around them
bullets around us
instead of dancing,
bullets
instead of music
bullets
thundering relentlessly
thundering time and again
like a flowing river
a river of bullets
flowing through Ukraine
rivers of bullets flowing through Ukraine
from north to south
rivers of bullets flowing
to the sea of azov or to the black sea and
to the mouth of the Danube,
leaving us more and more lonely and unhappy
leaving us older and more helpless
leaving us without a drop of water
leaving us more and more estranged
instead of love and illusions
bullets
instead of confidence and plans for the future
bullets,
instead of hope
bullets.
bullets instead of goodbye
bullets instead of seeing each other tomorrow
bullets instead
of smiles
instead of babies crying
bullets
bullets
instead of buds on trees
bullets
instead of flowers on street corners
we would have liked to live too
just to be able to forgive her
but instead
bullets
bullets
instead of nails
bullets instead of
arms
that will hug you
bullets
instead of legs
to approach
or run away
bullets
instead of raindrops falling
from above
falling
around them
around us
over us
bullets
instead of sunlight
bullets
instead of street signs
bullets
bullets and bombs
instead of cats
and dogs
bullets
instead of caged parakeets
bullets
with their head in the ground
bullets
instead of illusions
bullets
instead of love
bullets
instead of this very tight T-shirt
I would have liked to buy it
bullets
instead of lipstick
bullets
instead of foundation
bullets
instead of dreams
bullets
instead of hugs
bullets
instead of the words we could have said to each other
bullets
instead of silence
bullets
in your place
bullets
in my place
bullets
in our place
bullets
instead of Mariupol
bullets
instead of the flags in the city
instead of Mariupol
in our place
bullets
bullets
in your place
bullets
in my place
bullets
in our place
in their place
in your place
in our place
in your place
in my place
bullets
instead of bullets,
bullets
instead of bullets
bullets
