POEM - AUTUMN LETTER, POET - LEFTER SHOMO - ALBANIA

 

LEFTER SHOMO - ALBANIA 

Lefter Shomo (Eleuterio Sciomo) was born in 1948 in the city of Delvina (Albania), where he also finished high school. In 1974 he graduated from the University of the Higher State Agricultural Institute. After university, he graduated in Greek, Italian and French with the state diploma. In 1990, he defended his scientific thesis for the title of Science Candidate. Lefter Shomo is the first teacher who opened the Italian course in the city of Delvina, starting in high school and then privately in 1989. Shomo has been writing poetry since his youth. Recently he is preparing two collections of poetry in Albanian and Greek. Lefter Shomo has translated poems by famous Albanian and foreign poets, including many famous authors. 

AUTUMN LETTER

At the dark bottom of the old trunk

A yellow letter long forgotten in peace

By some careless hand, it was shrunk

Like crumpled leaves of fall memories.  

So heartlessly wadded up, as if

Neither feeling nor news comes near

It used to connect two hearts like a bridge

Today her words are broken by tears.  

On letters where shadows and lights glow

The words fade, the lines are erased

Moments of emotion do not grow

And they look like derailed trains

Like leaves and feelings wounded in size

The silent nightmare of jealousy haunts

An exhausting fall on the letter lies

That the red soul turns yellow with love.

(Translation from Albanian to English

By Alfred Kola)

Prepared Angela Kosta Executive Director of MIRIADE Magazine, Academic, journalist, writer, poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, translator, promoter