Maydan’s Shoots
Written by Dmytro Chystiak
Translated from the Ukrainian by Hilary Sheers
Narrated by Jami Proctor Xu
Above ravens – in clear spaces – bullets of earthy mistletoe,
And under ravens – by graves – buds on earthy willows,
God’s wrath hails – puts spring into coffins,
Blue eyes – into the earth,
Sky – into the earth
All of us placed silently,
Feet weep water – black thawed patches.
Sun sings – like a bullet –
And mistletoe – like a bullet,
And this earth – like a bullet –
They are ready and waiting!
How many of them silently,
How many of us, green,
Have we buried…
Children going early to their graves
Have long sown cold sands,
Sown earthy earth,
Sighed – laughed uproariously –sighed!
Higher in the throat a ray will pierce – westwards to the sunset.
You will catch a branch:
Thaw – like a bursting bud,
Sun – like a bursting bud,
And this earth is like a bursting bud –
They are ready and waiting
With dreams of spring…