NEBOJSA LAPCEVIC

Nebojsa Lapcevic (Nebojša Lapčević) was born in 1966 in Krusevac. He has published up to now thirteen books (poetry, prose, documentary - publicistic, drama). Among other titles, he published the novel "Lake in the Cells", poems "The Arrival of Christ at Manhattan", "Stanzas in Prototypes", "The Cross of St. Emperor Constantine", the book of stories "Entrance to the South Gate", prose "A Game for the Red Star", a book for children "Why does a Stork Walk in the Sky" etc. He also wrote three opera libtrettos, highlightening the performance of the first Krusevac opera "The Finding of the Prince Lazar’s Head" composed by MIroljub Arandjelovic Rasinski. Translated into several foreign languages and represented in several anthologies and literary journals. Winner of several literary awards. Member of The Association of Serbian Writers and President of Bagdala Literary Club, works as an editor in Milic of Macva's Legacy Gallery..

E-mail: nebojsa.lapcevic37@gmail.com

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Poems in Serbian and English

 

DOLAZAK HRISTA NA MENHETN

 

Niko više neće doći

u Ameriku kao Kolumbo,

s prtljagom

prepunim poklona i želja,

pomisli velegradska vrana,

čučeći na bilbordu

s deset božjih zapovesti,

načinjenom u čast

ulaska Hrista u Menhetn.

 

U ogledalu od kvarcnih čestica

neboderi sjaje

ka Novom Nebu,

večni kosmički šum

nečujno prodire u grad,

vraćajući

temelj temelju,

kao prah prahu…

 

Niko više neće doći

kao iznenadni Gost

čija je oštra reč kao mač,

reče velegradska vrana

i nestade u vatrometu…

 

COMING OF CHRIST TO MENHATTAN

 

No one will come

to America as Colombo

with luggage

full of gifts and wishes

thought metropolitan crow,

crouching on the billboard

with God’s Ten Commandments,

made in honor

of Christ coming to Manhattan.

 

In the mirror of quartz particles

skyscrapers shine

towards the New Sky,

eternal cosmic murmur

stealthily penetrates into the city,

giving back

bedrock to the bedrock,

like dust to the dust…

 

No one will come

as a surprise Guest

whose word is as sharp as a sword

said the metropolitan crow

and vanished in fireworks…

 

***

 

SEKVENCA SA MERILIN MONRO

 

Lako je, iz potaje posmatrati je,

obasjanu bočnim svetlima,

crvenim, belim i plavim,

dok trepere žice benčo gitare

kao tonovi vlažnog neba,

kao nabori vlažne posteljine

iz koje izranja potpuno naga:

prelepe dojke, dugi prsti

prolaze kroz kosu, klize niz vrat

i bedra (usnimljen krupan plan

skoro antičke lepote),

u samome dnu stomaka smeđe kovrdže,

meÄ‘u njima kao izvor svetluca „Kristal,

jebeno dobar šampanjac. ( ... Rez)“.

 

Lako je, iz potaje posmatrati je

ako se poput intermeca grickanja semenki,

čuje tihi ritual jezika

muškaraca, koji su ljubavima

toliko opsednuti.

 

A SEQUENCE WITH MERILYN MONROE

 

It is easy to observe her from stealth,

illuminated by sidelight,

red, white and blue,

while the wires of the bench guitar are flashing,

like a tones of  the wet sky,

like a drapery of the wet bedding

from which she emerges entirely naked:

the beautiful breasts, the long fingers

pass through the hair, down the neck

and the thighs, ( recorded close plan

of the almost ancient beauty),

at the bottom of the stomach brown curls,

among them like fountain sparkles “Crystal,

fucking good Champagne. (… Cut)”.

 

It is easy to observe her from stealth,

if like intermezzo with nibbling seeds

the silent ritual of  tongues of men is heard,

tongues of men,

obsessed by loves.

 

***

 

IZ ENCIKLOPEDIJE

 

On je boem,

i diplomat,

i ilegalac,

i ljubavnik,

i borac,

i skitnica,

i kolekcionar,

i putnik bez „putovnice“

i slavljenik,

i prognanik,

i domatik,

i slobodni mislilac,

i emigrant,

i koren čileanskog kamenja,

komunist i nobelovac,

sav u sukobu

sav u protivrečju,

u dugim povorkama,

i u osami

život pun

Pabla Nerude,

otvara obzorja...

 

OUT OF ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

He is a bohemian,

and a diplomat,

and an illegal

and a lover,

and a fighter,

and a nomad,

and a collector,

and a traveler without a passport,

and a celebrator,

and a fugitive,

and a dogmatic,

and a free thinker,

and an emigrant,

and a root of the stones from Chile,

communist and Nobel Prize winner,

all in clash

all in contradiction,

in the long bays

and in the isolation

life full of

Pablo Neruda,

opens horizons…

 

***

 

KUĆA NA KRAJU SVETA

 

ÄŒesto sanjam

kuću na kraju sveta

obzidanu za me,

poput Nojeve barke,

s punim jedrima,

na sprud nasukane

pred konačnom lukom.

 

ÄŒesto sanjam

kuću na kraju sveta

iako je mutna plima krvi,

u nju provalila,

iako kovitlaju se senke

ptica mračnih,

 

to će biti kolevka za me,

iako rođen,

da se ponovo rodim.

 

***

 

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE WORLD

 

Often I dream

about the house

at the end of the world

built for me

like Noah’s Ark

with full sails

stranded on the sand-bank

in front of the final port.

 

Often I dream

about the house

at the end of the world

although the fuzzy blood tide

broke in it,

although the shadows

of the dark birds

are rolling,

 

that is going to be

a cradle for me,

although born already

to be born again.

 

***

 

DAMIN GAMBIT

 

Te godine je umro Bobi Fišer.

Zbog njegove smrti

ostao je kovertiran potez,

kraljica F6, kao žrtva.

Za poznavaoce šaha-

nerazumljiva pacerska igra.

Za novinare, naslov:

Bobi izgubljen

u  islandskoj sumaglici!

Po Borhesu figure pomiče igrač,

a igrača sam Bog.

Sa ruske stanice Mir,

oglašavaju se svemirska zvona:

Kralj šaha, na F6,

kao žrtva.

 

QUEEN’S GAMBIT

 

That year, Bobby Fischer has died.

Because of his death

remained Adjournment,

Queen F6, as a victim.

For the experts of chess-

incomprehensible patcher’s game.

For journalists, headline:

Bobby lost

in the mist in Iceland!

According to Borges player moves chessman’s figure

and God moves the players.

From the Russian station MIR

the space tones are ringing

King of the chess, on F6

as a victim.

 

(Translator into English Vida Nenadic)