Self Cartography Poem by Slavica Gadzova

In my eye pupils I keep
all sunrises and sunsets
seen by my mother, father,
grandmother and grandfather,
and their mothers and fathers
grandmothers and grandfathers
and all black ravens over the Black Sea
and all white seagulls over the White Sea
and all red clouds over the Red Sea
and the Dead Sea with slain dreams turned into salt
and scars on the places where there were wings

I have a snake island within me
and a church with healing water among the snakes
an icon with the two faces of Jesus
and Renaissance frescos with angels
and one Olympus I have inside me
and my own Zeus who throws thunders on himself

I have Sahara inside me
and the music of North Africa sung by man only
is sung by my female cells
and all traditional songs of the Balkans
call for an unknown man
and peaks with unknown height
without flags
abysses with unknown depth
screams of unknown mouths

I have oleanders and cactuses
unmapped world and a dried flower
from an ancient book of wisdom
which I don't know how to read