When he’s,
usually after midnight,
returning home,
the cold concrete of the staircase
is waiting for him,
and he,
such as he is,
cannot control
the tidal wave of ontology:

what is when
what is he’s
what is returning
what is home
what is what
…?

In front of the entrance,
he starts shaking empirically
and sees himself as Ulysses
if he manages
to get through that jungle.

If not –
he realizes he’s not.

(1999)

Translated by Stephanie Krueger and Sasha Skenderija
© 2013 Stephanie Krueger and Sasha Skenderija

Amir Brka (b. 1963 in Tešanj) is a Bosnian poet, prose writer and cultural historian. His prolific and diverse opus has received quite unique critical acclaim in Bosnia and the West Balkan region. His poems and stories have been awarded  the most prestigious Bosnian literary prizes and translated into several European languages.

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