TO MY DAUGHTER

web | Bravado

My little two-year old,
teeny-beenyant,
by your side, I am huge,
I am frankly a giant.
I support the sky
with my shoulders,
I can reach anything
with my hand.
For you, I am the smartest,
the most handsome, the strongest
the biggest, the best...
For you I am God.

What a uniquely human stand!
The years are passing
and passing... and passing,
like a cruel Sanctified
Inquisition.
And they start
taking away from me,
right in front of your eyes,
my stunned child,
all those Godlike qualities...
There is no time for me to visit the Holy Land.
And slowly, with dignity, I am turning into
a parent.

© Maxim Maximov
© Bojidara Pavlova, translated from Bulgarian
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© LiterNet Publishing House, 23.02.2021
Maxim Maximov. Bravado. Varna: LiterNet, 2021

Other publications:
Maxim Maximov. Bravado. Los Angeles: Triumvirate Publications, 1999.