'The pig is warming himself,' 'Returning from the war...,' and 'damp forest'

The pig is warming himself
Вy the stove as if he will never
Вe baked for
Christmas

 


 

Returning from the war, the saboteur repeats the error of approach and repeats the error of return
 
The saboteur, returning from the war, still believes that he is at home and that the sky is above his head
 
Snipers in the bushes of other people's eyelashes
A premature engagement ring on a severed finger of a severed hand
And everywhere there are faces faces faces

 


 

damp forest
like a butterfly 
the heat comes 
out of a pistol clip

 

 

Mykyta Ryzhykh is an author from Ukraine who now lives in Tromsø, Norway. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2023 and 2024, and has been published many times in literary magazines in Ukrainian and English.

 

Edited for Unlikely by Jonathan Penton, Editor-in-Chief
Last revised on Thursday, December 14, 2023 - 20:48