Hate Speech
.
The language of hate grows from the chest
with heavy breaths
breaths of revenge
breaths of justice
your anger thickens the air, compresses enemy objects
metal cracks explosions curl inward
everything is real
you wake up – and there’s nothing to breathe
only the space of hostility will be expanded again
the space
that you’ll have to squeeze out
breath by breath after every explosion
and this is how you’ll be standing
by night
your language will build you up
and this is how you’ll withstand.
.
мова ненависті
.
мова ненависті наростає у грудях щільними вдихами
вдихами помсти
вдихами справедливості
твій гнів загусає повітря стискає ворожі об’єкти
метал дає тріщини вибухи згортаються усередину
все насправді
прокидаєшся – а нічим дихати
тільки простір противника знову розширився
простір
знову тобі по вдиху по вибуху витискати
і так до ночі
стоятимеш
твоя мова тебе наростить
так і вистоїш
.
Victoria Feshchuk is a poet, translator, and special projects’ editor at Chytomo, Ukrainian media of literature and book publishing. She has been a laureate of national poetry competitions and has participated at several Ukrainian literary festivals. Her poems were translated into English, Polish, German, French, Czech. Her poems were published in English translation in Voices for Ukraine anthology (US, 2022), Invasion anthology (Ireland, 2022). Her translation were published in Verseville magazine (India, 2022) and (UK, 2022). She lives in Kyiv.
