Pavel Kolmačka

Pavel Kolmačka is a Catholic poet originally from Prague, Czech Republic. He has published two books of poetry, A ridiculous tailcoat fluttered behind me, and You saw that you are. His novel, Footprints leading beyond the horizon, appeared in 2006. He lives in the village of Chrudichromy with his wife and two sons. His poetry, according to Alexandra Bϋchler (who translated the following poem), "is about the presence of God in everyday things."

This poem comes from his poetry collection You saw that you are. This translation comes from the book Six Czech Poets (Arc Publications, 2008).

Still midday air

Still midday air,
the breeze asleep
in the nest of a tree.
Before long God will give us a sign
or trip us up in one of his traps.

On the village green a freckled boy
falls off his father’s bike.
In tears, nursing a grazed knee,
he’s dragging his feet home.

A drop of blood dries in the dust.
High up above the trees
the billowing blue of the sky,
the white rock of a cloud.

Posted with permission of the poet.

Entry written by D.S. Martin. His latest poetry collection, Conspiracy of Light: Poems Inspired by the Legacy of C.S. Lewis, is available from Wipf & Stock as is his earlier award-winning collection, Poiema.