Paper Ships

The first book of poetry by the young poet Antina Zlatkova, who won the National poetry competition "Sea" in 2009.

The poem, which was awarded The Big Prize of National poetry competition "Sea" in 2009:

sea

the sea stole from me
one man
one ship
three dresses
and two flip-flops
so used to say my mum
when I asked her
why every morning
she would wander on the beach

from the sea

she used to say
her nails

had grown soft
her heels

had become raw
her hair
curled itself
and foamed
white

the sea
she used to say
ruffles you
and rips your seams
from the long wait
you get frayed
and diluted



and for me it is cramped
to wait on dry land
so used to say my mum
if she would learn
to swim
she would sail
to search for america
she would forget
her dresses
and her men