Ndriçim Ademaj is an Albanian- speaking poet and writer from Kosovo. He graduated in Modern Literature from the Sorbonne University in Paris and received his Master’s degree in Modern Literature from the University Lumière – Lyon 2 in Lyon. Ndriçim Ademaj’s work has
been featured in various anthologies and literary magazines in Albanian and other foreign languages. It has been translated in several languages, including English, French, German,
Turkish and Macedonian.

INFUSION

the evening’s eyes are dripping as these drops drop inside the infusion bottle that tightens your wrinkled arm tonight I saw the most beloved eyes in the world as they are sleeping wearily in the bed of this dark hospital I saw you tired and numbed for the first time I saw your pain hanging as a pale neon over the silence of the night we have been here several other times the first time it was when I was born, you held my name in your wrist, you were tender then as an excellent pupil on the first day of school, you never thought that one day you’d melt down in life as this boring infusion that our lives were nothing but two faded autumn leaves sirens come and bring other women other young men killed drunken in the unwashed streets of Prizren cars pushing each other toward the neighbouring hospital graves you are only sleeping, you are breathing I remember when I used to play with your long hair and you would tell me short stories about those who are gone and those who’d come

about father’s boredom

and brother’s childhood but about us we never talked who cares, tonight you’ll listen to me long enough tonight, you won’t say anything about the nights when I would come back home drunk about time wasted about women I have loved, and who never loved me more than you ever did for a long time I’ve been willing to find a song for you but I never had enough time I was drinking for the one who left with the very first airplane for the Distant City where all the sewage from this world’s betrayals is being discharged for a long time I’ve been willing to love you like this, only with my eyes it doesn’t matter, what matters now is for you to wake up see, the light is coming out with some confused raindrops see, I am here as well, watching the most beloved eyes in the world see, you are awakening from a horrible dream which is leaving like an uncalled taxi with the last drops of this infusion don’t give up,

we have all the time in the world to die…

Translated by Fadil Bajraj