A Dance of the Souls

Poetry musical dance performance "Dance of the Souls", based on the book of the same name by Kalina Tomova, May 27, 2023, Chicago

“Improvisation” – A Poem from the Audiobook "The Smile of the Light"

Narrated by the Author Kalina Tomova

A Poetic Portrait of Botev by Kalina Tomova

narrated by the author

Portrait of Botev

by Kalina Tomova, English translation by T.Brown

I am not worthy to portray him...
And yet, I lived for weeks in his home—
welcomed into his vast and noble heart,
touched by the fire that burned within him.

A striking man…
His eyes—mysterious wells
that held the endlessness of the universe.
His forehead—broad, unbound,
and brows—dense, like a Bulgarian tapestry.

His nose—classically shaped, near perfection.
And his lips... I dare not draw too near—
for behind them lived words so fervent,
so true—
Yet still, how might they have kissed?

I attempt to capture Botev.
I know—I fall short of his stature.
But so many days I spent with him,
so many nights…
and oh, the countless conversations we shared.

From the wind,
I gather a fleeting instant
and breathe it gently into his form.
Where mortal measures would belong,
I scatter the heavens across his eyes.

Instead of a heart, I draw a blazing flame—
for what else could burn so fiercely?
What else could shine through centuries
or melt the coldest chains?

This is my Botev!
A pillar of strength and courage—
a steady presence
in today’s, alas, divided time.
But so long as this colossus lives among us,
this timeless sentinel,
I fear not for our children—nor for myself.

From Kalina Tomova's book "Drawings on the Sand"

In the suburb of my awareness sheltered in secret nook and corners of unknown holdings, still stand unlocked an ancient gate - ponderous and rare opened. In my memory its mysterious creaking are fade and diluted. I cannot rightly say even whether it is opened at all, or everything is creation of my evoked brain. But I know nevertheless thereabouts the gate exists ...