Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Vlado Bulić

003

a former
warrior, adventurer and a convict
Mate U.
won himself
a job
in a local butcher’s shop.

he slaughters                            for coins
and always takes a bottle of brandy with him.
he takes a sip or two.
brings in a bull.
chains it,
            to the right wall
and to the left wall.
fixes it with his eyes.
raises a steel hammer                (the bull does not stand a chance)
and the hits it with all his might and main between         the horns.

the bull kneels.
Mate hits it one more time.
the bull collapses.

Mate goes on:
        “You”
                TUP!
        “ugly”
                TUP!
        “Chetnik”
                TUP!
        “motherfucker!”
                TUP!

he wipes his sweat.

takes a knife.
takes another sip
and cuts the dead bull’s             throat.
the blood gushes out
like water from a fire hose.

he takes the bottle.
sits down on the dead bull’s shoulder.
                        drinks
and watches blood flowing down the drains.

003

003

bivši
ratnik, pustolov i pržinar
Mate U.
izborio se
za posao
u lokalnoj mesnici.

kolje                        za sitne pare
i nosi bocu rakije sa sobom.
potegne gutljaj-dva.
dovede bika.
zaveže ga s dva lanca,
            za desni zid
i lijevi zid.
fiksira ga pogledom.               
digne čelični bat                (bik nema šanse)
i udari ga svom snagom između    rogova.

bik klekne.
Mate ga udari još jednom.
bik se izvali.

Mate nastavi:
        “Jebem ti”
                TUP!
        “mater”
                TUP!
        “četničku”
                TUP!
        “u pičku!”
                TUP!
obriše znoj.

uzme nož.
otpije još gutljaj
i mrtvom biku prereže                grkljan.
krv šprica kao
iz vatrogasnog šmrka.

uzme bocu.
sjedne mrtvom biku na plećku.
                        pije
i gleda krv kako otječe u kanalizaciju.
Close

003

a former
warrior, adventurer and a convict
Mate U.
won himself
a job
in a local butcher’s shop.

he slaughters                            for coins
and always takes a bottle of brandy with him.
he takes a sip or two.
brings in a bull.
chains it,
            to the right wall
and to the left wall.
fixes it with his eyes.
raises a steel hammer                (the bull does not stand a chance)
and the hits it with all his might and main between         the horns.

the bull kneels.
Mate hits it one more time.
the bull collapses.

Mate goes on:
        “You”
                TUP!
        “ugly”
                TUP!
        “Chetnik”
                TUP!
        “motherfucker!”
                TUP!

he wipes his sweat.

takes a knife.
takes another sip
and cuts the dead bull’s             throat.
the blood gushes out
like water from a fire hose.

he takes the bottle.
sits down on the dead bull’s shoulder.
                        drinks
and watches blood flowing down the drains.

003

a former
warrior, adventurer and a convict
Mate U.
won himself
a job
in a local butcher’s shop.

he slaughters                            for coins
and always takes a bottle of brandy with him.
he takes a sip or two.
brings in a bull.
chains it,
            to the right wall
and to the left wall.
fixes it with his eyes.
raises a steel hammer                (the bull does not stand a chance)
and the hits it with all his might and main between         the horns.

the bull kneels.
Mate hits it one more time.
the bull collapses.

Mate goes on:
        “You”
                TUP!
        “ugly”
                TUP!
        “Chetnik”
                TUP!
        “motherfucker!”
                TUP!

he wipes his sweat.

takes a knife.
takes another sip
and cuts the dead bull’s             throat.
the blood gushes out
like water from a fire hose.

he takes the bottle.
sits down on the dead bull’s shoulder.
                        drinks
and watches blood flowing down the drains.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère