Milorad Pejić

The third life

 

​Translated by Omer Hadžiselimović

Illustration by Fikret Libovac

2019.

​

The Third Life is the fourth collection of poetry by Milorad Pejić translated into English by Omer Hadžiselimović. Among the sixty-five poems is the poem Bird Magician which describes an encounter with the artist Fikret Libovac and his wire birds. Pejić's poems in this edition are also visually connected with Libovac's classical drawings with a line as by wire.

 

Pejić is a poet who writes with forethought, dissecting living reality with scientific meticulousness, but what is crucial is that this thoughtfulness does not in the least diminish his spontaneity. Namely, just as it is true that
a poet is not a barbarian who writes great verses in ecstasy or madness, it is also true that without spark and spontaneity there is no great poetry.

 

It is not enough to say that his poetry is anti-war, it is also anti-patriotic. Or in the poet's words: „Patriotism is the worst disease. It is, in fact, a benign tumor that constantly strives to move into its natural, evil state.” Therefore, in his poetic world, patriotism is not a virtue but a weakness.