[MarMema]

If it were not so painful to see my churches burned, if it were not so painful to see my Orthodox brethren suffering, I could and would sit back and say "Ha. We told you so."

I do love the line above about expecting the KLA to become gardeners. I think this may be the most well-written piece yet. Touche!

[MarMema]

Hope I didn't miss anyone who wanted to be included ping.

[greenwolf]

I'd appreciate being on your ping list.

[Jim_Curtis]

If Russia wants to do something great for the first time in 50 years...they should tell the peacekeepers to get the hell out, go in and do the extremely nasty business that needs to be done there and then leave without showing any pride or shame. When all is said and done, there will either be Serbs there or there will be Muslims there...not both. Illusions of peace and harmony equal quagmire forever.

Russia would have to be the one who does this, the US can't for the obvious reason that we are at war and already spread thin.

[AncientAirs]

Pesma

Kradu mi pamcenje
Skracuju mi proslost
Otimaju vekove
Dzamijaju crkve
Araju azbuku
Cekicaju grobove
Izdiru temelj
Razmecu kolijevku.
Uzimaju mi ono
Sto nikome nisam uzeo
Moje lavre i prestonice
ne znam sta je moje
Ni gde mi je granica
Narod mi je u najmu i rasejanju
Pale mi tapije
I zatiru postojanstvo.
Zrtveno polje sa krvavom travom
Ne smem da kazem da je moje
Ne daju mi da udjem u kucu
Kazu da sam je prodao
Zemlju koju sam od neba kupio
Neko im je obecao.
Ko im je obecao
taj ih je slagao
Sto im ne obeca
Ono sto je njegovo?
Zato jurisaju na mene udruzeni
Kivni sto sam ih poznao.

Matija Beckovic

---

Poem

Matija BECKOVIC *

They are stealing my memory
Curtailing my past
Snatching the centuries
Turning churches into mosques
Gutting the script
Pummeling the graves
Ripping out the foundation
Overturning the cradle

They take from me that
which I have taken from no one
My treasuries and capitals
I know not what is mine
Nor where my borders lie
My people are yoked and bestrewn
They are burning my deeds
And eradicating my existence

The field of martyrs with its blood-soaked grass
I dare not say is mine
They stop me from entering my home
Saying I sold it
The land I purchased from heaven
Was promised by someone to them
Whoever made that promise
Lied to them
Why does he not promise them
That which is his?
That is why they assail me in unison
Furious that I recognized them.

* Matija Beckovic (1939)
Serbian poet and academican

Matija Beckovic:

Ils volent tout
Ils volent ma mémoire
Effaçant mon passé
Volant les siècles
Transformant les églises en mosquées
Arrachant l'alphabet
Pilonnant les tombes
Déchirant les fondations
Retournant le landau.
Ils me prennent
Ce que je n'ai pris à personne
Mes trésors et capitales
Je ne sais pas ce qui est mien
Ni où sont mes frontières
Mon peuple est asservi et dispersé
Ils brûlent mes titres de propriété
Et exterminent mon existence.
Le champ des martyrs avec son herbe ensanglantée
Je n'ose même pas dire que c'est le mien
Ils ne me laissent pas entrer dans ma maison
Ils disent que je l'ai vendue
La terre que j'avais achetée au ciel
Quelqu'un la leur a promise.
Celui qui la leur a promise
Leur a menti
Pourquoi ne leur a-t-il pas promis
Quelque chose qui lui appartenait ?
Voilà pourquoi ils m'attaquent ensemble
Furieux que je les aie reconnus.
Matija (Mathieu) Beckovic
(poète et académicien serbe né en 1939)

[scoopscandal]

I'd like to be put on this list, please.

[Honorary Serb]

I do love the line above about expecting the KLA to become gardeners.

I don't think that Neanderthals have been know for horticulture or agriculture. Just meat-eating, cannibalism, and headhunting!!!!

Besides asking where the governments of the "humanitarian" nations of the "West" are in terms of giving aid, we need to ask where the "Western" mainline churches are. After all, all of them gave MASSIVE amounts of aid to Kosovo Shiptars, and to "rebuild Kosovo" (i.e., to build the unjust and unsustainable structures of an "indpendent" Shiptar-run "Kosova".) Those of us in American "mainline", evangelical Protestant, or Roman Catholic churches need to hold their leaders' (or mis-leaders') feet to the fire until the aid for the Serbs is forthcoming.

[MarMema]

Out of all the great 'humanitarian' nations of Europe and America, Russia alone has taken the initiative to deliver tangible aid to the refugees driven from their homes one week ago.

I remembered this sentence as among my favorites at the time, and maybe you will also enjoy reading this one.