About Blue : Velestovo

by Tatiana Daniliyants
     translated by Katherine E. Young

1

When I say the name: Velestovo,
I think of deep blue.
Of blue stretching from sky to sky.
Of the matte sun in luminous pools.
I think of the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee,
the smell of fresh-baked bread,
the gentle herd driven to the sound of bells . . .
I think of the chill of an August night,
the chill of the poetry of Cyril and Methodius,
the chill of love.
When I think of deep blue,
I say the name: Velestovo.

2

When I say the name: Velestovo,
I think of deep blue.
And of the people without whom
my life would be diminished.
Your tenderness, Velestovo,
the scent of the lake’s spirit,
the living water,
all rise up to my heart in blue.
In blue I find harbor,
and berth, dock,
and haven.
Your goodness, o blue!
When I think of deep blue,
I say the name: Velestovo.

from the cycle Four Hearts / Serdtsa Chetyrëkh: Macedonia