Any city anytime anywhere

So when you get to that city
Who knows which and who knows where
Regardless of whence you cometh
Even from Velje Duboko
Or – straight from nowhere
You will find out that everything is the same
And all will be the same
As if you had never visited at all
As if you had never even existed
Because Providence forgets nothing
And knows no haste
And it lacks no imagination
And never runs out of wild ideas
In its quest to harmonize
Synchronize everything and all
In order to fulfill and [re]connect
As is written in the book of faith and fate

Only – you would not be the same
And nothing would be as it is
Had it only been as it was not
Because – on this Earth there exists only one city
Only one arrival
One single rendez-vous
And each and every one
Is the very first
Is the very last
The one and the only
And nothing like it had ever happened before
Nor will it happen ever again
Forever after
And there will be no such sojourn – ever again

And all those worldly cities are but one
Bits and pieces of one and the same city
The city of all cities
The city that has become – you.

The irresistible city flocked by one and all
All those in haste, eager to confront themselves

And it’s a damn good thing
That you’ve come to witness it all
Right here – in Valjevo
To meet forever – Vera Pavladoljska.

And to learn
That the moment you laid your eyes upon her
Agape
You realized that you had loved her forever
And you had anticipated and mourned
The inevitable parting
Long, long ago
Long before you had ever met her
Because – on this Earth
Only one such singular city exists
Only one such unique Woman
And only one single day
And only one song of songs
Only one single silent word
And only one and only city
Where you had heard that word
And only one single mouth
Those lips that dared utter that unspeakable word

And from the way that word was spoken
You knew for sure that it was echoed
For the very first time – ever
And you knew that you could close your eyes in peace
Right then and there – serene
Since you were instantly both buried and resurrected
And you knew for sure
That that which had never ever happened
Had just repeated itself

Hence, when you get to that city
Any city anytime anywhere
And if that city happens to be Valjevo
That very city into which I myself had once upon a time
Stumbled upon
Remember – you too will follow the road you had to take
The only road
The road which never existed
Until the day you had set out upon your journey
Because you were born together
So that you may trek and tread together
So that you may some day meet
The one and only woman
You must meet

Right there
Upon the only, lonely road you must take
As there is no other

Meet the woman who was [and is] your life
Long, long before you ever met her
Long before you ever knew that she existed

Your Woman
Your city
The city you had [will] simply stray[ed] into
And stumble[d] upon.

Rendition: Nikolaj Miscevic