She has been in the sea and it has been in her.
She has conceived in the relative peace of the bottom
with crustaceans, greenish-blue seaweed,
lived with the great power of symbiosis.

Perhaps she’s been at some ancient market
with an expectation of travel,
filled with olive oil or wine, touched by strong hands,
but the sea has hidden her in its basement.

Recently she saw the white world and inhaled air at length.

Now she grieves like an abstract symbol,
makes each empty corner more bearable.

We both war against time.
Protect ourselves from the blinding shield of the sun.

–Bina Kals,
translated from the Bulgarian
by Katerina Stoykova-Klemer
The Season of Delicate Hunger:
Anthology of Contemporary Bulgarian Poetry
(Accents Publishing)

Bina Kals was born on March 15th, 1967 in Bourgas. She holds a degree in biotechnology engineering and is currently studying theology. She has worked as a community organizer and cultural liaison. Bina is the author of two books of poetry, most recently Twelve Hours of Santorini (2011), for which she received a literary award. Bina lives and writes in Bourgas.