“When the Heart Bursts” by Tomaž Šalamun, translation from Slovene by Brian Henry | Blackbird v20n2

Slovene
back TOMAŽ ŠALAMUN
translation from Slovene by Brian Henry

When the Heart Bursts

I overtake at nightfall because I want to kill myself.
At the same time I’m deeply grateful for my entire

life. If I fall in love, my head bursts, a sad
novelty. I’m awake. I’m taking valium. As

a youth, I didn’t dare. I wanted to be pure.
Even now I want to be pure. Making love is

beautiful, but terrible. Poetry doesn’t contribute
to peace of any kind. It contributes to explosions and

pain. How it burns and crushes my chest, which might
seem humorous if dread and darkness didn’t start

there. Love kills, today is a bright day. Everything
is pure. Snow melted wildly for three whole days.

I remember being disgusted with Jaša when
we learned: Tito visited his sister. His sister

offered him wine and Tito said polish off this
plonk. The chauffeur opened a bottle for him. All

chauffeurs are terrible. All those who push my
poems into foreign languages just like I tell them.