Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Mirela Leka Xhava (Albanian – French)
She was born in the city of Elbasan, Albania. She was passionate about literature since childhood, being published from time to time in various magazines and newspapers.
She graduated in Albanian Language and Literature at « Aleksander Xhuvani » Elbasan.
University. Until 2002, before immigrating to France, she worked as a librarian at the city’s University Library, where she was also a member of the League of Writers of Elbasan. Her Poems have been published in prestigious magazines and newspapers in Albania, Kosovo, England, Canada, USA, Belgium, Bangladesh, India, Tunisia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Dominican Republic, Holland as well as in France, on French online literary sites, etc.
She is active in literary salons and fairs in France, as well as contemporary literature, where she Won the «Diplôme d’Honneur at the 24th Printemps des Poètes -Sartrouville France».
It has been published periodically in the literary magazine Poètes Sans Frontières «Florilège» -Dijon, in the Canadian Anthology of Literary Poetry in defense of children «Ethics and Global Education», the International Anthology of Poets for Peace – Tunisia, in the Anthology « Paris Window » volume 2/3 Poetry, in the Anthology « Confessions » India, in the Anthology of Atunis Galaxy Poetry-Belgium and was a finalist of the Mediterranean Poetry Festival-Rome 2022, in the semi-final of the competition Mili-Dueli Bosnie-Herzégovine 2024 etc.
She has recently been accepted as a member of the Association of French Poets.
Literary works:
« I don’t want winter in my eyes » (poems) 1999, published in Albania.
« Les fleurs de la rue Montesquieu » (Flowers of Montesquieu street) – Publishing house « ADA » Tirana 2022 in (Albanian-French).
She is working on the latest books of the poetry series in France.
Currently lives with his family in Bordeaux, France.
Late Summer
Not yet gone, escaped somewhere beyond clouds,
I miss Summer
I sit on the threshold of dreams and wait ‘till it’s return.
August rain dampens my hair and the tired sun barely peeks out,
It seems to whisper ;
The autumn wind will dry it when it blows.
At the last goodbye I understood
That they were the tears of a setting sun.
I miss Summer,
Not yet gone, escaped somewhere beyond clouds,
I sit on the threshold of dreams and wait ‘till it’s return.
A little breath of Camus
I have been sculpting myself for a long time,
Perhaps I was born by gift of the gods
Vertically-horizontally
I make a cross and wait for the completion of the work
Which has no end and no beginning.
Somewhere, sometimes I blow the dust of the absurd
Detach my perfection from the secular gravitation
To resemble the rest of the sky that we never understood.
In my « workshop ».
I am already sculpting myself without pain
Imaginary metamorphosed.
I find myself a stranger every day
Except for the smile I recognise in my eyes.
Beyond wars, love !
(To the children, innocent victims of war)
You were the same, as children,
you shared the game together
With the smile
And what did it matter to you, hatred, politics, borders
For you there were no barriers,
The world was beautiful,
Clear sky full of light.
…
Suddenly the moon went dark, dreams
Left unfinished
The morning came freezing cold.
Adults went crazy
Killing innocent lives.
Wars, vomit hatred
You plant love.
Upon your eyes forever
Shut
How could the sun smile
Again ?!…
My homeland, I love you !
(Dedicated to my country, 46 years under the communist dictatorship)
My homeland, do you know ?
I betrayed you, before I loved you
Like Judas I kissed Jesus
By the barred window, lights flickered
Out there, the sun warmed up the West…
With scraps of musty books, I decorated the walls
I secretly harbored «Madame Bovari»
I cursed myself and the earth at that time
I lit the spent candles until dawn.
I fell so in love with the world out there
How much I hated you, do you know ?
I broke the bars, with the wrath of the Titan
I told you to leave, goodbye !
I bow to you, my homeland
With the love of a child, after a fault
I curse dogs and keys with the whole lock
Who kept the windows closed…
