Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Bojan Radašinović

Those Were The Days (2)

2.

after Sandra had gone
in casual conversations
even with strangers
I was forced to answer questions like
what are you going to do up there
why did your girlfriend leave
why couldn’t she find a job here
would she be able to use her diploma
is life good up there
regardless of who I spoke to  
I always repeated the same answers
when they told me
that they would go too
if only there was an opportunity
that the situation here is awful
that in a year or two it would be like Chile here
I lifted up my glass or my cup
and started to roll it slowly on the table
then we went quiet for a while
waiting for something to happen
when I met them later in town
they would pat me on my shoulder commenting
you’re still here
when are you leaving
how’s your girlfriend

To su bili dani (2)

To su bili dani (2)

2.

nakon što je sandra otišla
često sam morao u nevezanim razgovorima
čak i neznancima
objašnjavati svoju situaciju
odgovarati na pitanja poput
šta ćeš tamo raditi
zašto ti je cura otišla
a ne može ovdje ništa nać
jel joj priznaju faks
jel se tamo dobro živi
uvijek sam vrtio iste odgovore
bez obzira s kojim sam ljudima razgovarao
kad bi mi odgovarali
da bi i oni otišli
samo da imaju priliku
da je ova situacija stvarno grozna
i da će tu za dvije godine biti čile
primio bih čaši ili šalicu
i lagano ju vrtio po stolu
tada bi svi zajedno šutjeli
i čekali nekog vraga da se desi
kad bi ih kasnije susretao u gradu
tapšali bi me po ramenu i pitali
još si tu
kad ideš
kako ti je cura
Close

Those Were The Days (2)

2.

after Sandra had gone
in casual conversations
even with strangers
I was forced to answer questions like
what are you going to do up there
why did your girlfriend leave
why couldn’t she find a job here
would she be able to use her diploma
is life good up there
regardless of who I spoke to  
I always repeated the same answers
when they told me
that they would go too
if only there was an opportunity
that the situation here is awful
that in a year or two it would be like Chile here
I lifted up my glass or my cup
and started to roll it slowly on the table
then we went quiet for a while
waiting for something to happen
when I met them later in town
they would pat me on my shoulder commenting
you’re still here
when are you leaving
how’s your girlfriend

Those Were The Days (2)

2.

after Sandra had gone
in casual conversations
even with strangers
I was forced to answer questions like
what are you going to do up there
why did your girlfriend leave
why couldn’t she find a job here
would she be able to use her diploma
is life good up there
regardless of who I spoke to  
I always repeated the same answers
when they told me
that they would go too
if only there was an opportunity
that the situation here is awful
that in a year or two it would be like Chile here
I lifted up my glass or my cup
and started to roll it slowly on the table
then we went quiet for a while
waiting for something to happen
when I met them later in town
they would pat me on my shoulder commenting
you’re still here
when are you leaving
how’s your girlfriend
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère