One Poem by Nikollë Loka

 

I know the Sea is grieving

I know that the sea is grieving
in the middle of a waterlogged winter.
I feel sea fever at the end of December,
and fires that fade without making noise.
I'm afraid—it is getting cold!
I shiver from the wind that blows,
and like the sea,
I don’t feel quite well,
even in the midst of June,
when the entire world refreshes itself in the water
willingly, not violently,
when the waves fade
in the branches of foreign blood,
and the fires burn in the eyes of a cyclops.
I know that the sea is grieving.

 

Nikollë Loka was born in Mirdita on March 25, 1960; graduated as a teacher at "Luigj Gurakuqi" University of Shkodra; master's degree in pedagogy at the University of Tirana, doctorate in history of education at the University of Tirana. Author of ten poetic volumes in Albanian and three poetic volumes in Italian (two of which with co-authors); included in the anthology "La Poesie contemporaine albanaise", "L'Hartmattan" publications, Paris 2024. In addition to Albanian, his poems have been published in Italian, English, French, German, Arabic, Romanian, Swedish and Mecedonian. Winner of several literary awards in the country and abroad. Included in the Lexicon of Albanian writers 1501-2001, editions "Faik Konica", Pristina 2003 and in the Encyclopedia of Italian language poets, "Aletti Editore" Rome 2021.