That day was another threshold
A stranger stole from him his mother’s lap and his sister’s affectionate eyes
Blind with sadness he stood as before a lifeless thing
When at midnight his love’s shelter appeared in front of him
He was in the grip of the man’s flood…

Alisa Velaj

Translated from Albanian by Ukë Zenel Buçpapaj

Alisa Velaj was born in the southern port town of Vlora, Albania, in 1982. Her work has appeared in a number of print and online international magazines. Her first full-length book, A Gospel of Light, from which this poem is taken, was published by Aquillrelle in 2015.