FILTER JUGOSLAVIJA (poem) - Predrag Lucić - Croatia

Filter Jugoslavija

Na crvenoj kutiji Filter Jugoslavije
Tutunskog kombinata Prilep
Istim slovima novo ime piše
Umjesto Jugoslavije
Oriental

Kako sad da objasniš braći
Koja oštre glogove kolce
I od Potkorena do Gevgelije
Zabadaju ih u mrtvo joj tlo

Da više ne možeš doći pred trafiku
Pitati Jugoslaviju i šibice
Da više nigdje
Ali baš nigdje
Ne pali taj prastari štos

Pa da se ostave pepela njenog
Jer Jugoslavija više
Ne može otići nigdje
Ne može nikamo
Ne može nikud
Ne može čak ni u dim

Filter Jugoslavija

On the red box of Filter Jugoslavija
Produced by the Prilep Tobacco Factory
The new letters of Oriental
Shine where Yugoslavia
Once used to be

And how can you now explain to brothers
Who hone hawthorn stakes
Driving them into her dead soil
All the way from Potkoren to Gevgelia

That you can no longer approach a kiosk
And ask for Yugoslavia and matches
And that nowhere
I mean nowhere
Can you crack
That ancient joke

So may they leave her ashes alone
Because Yugoslavia
Can no longer go
Anywhere
Can go nowhere
Not even up in smoke