A Song for Prishtina

I visited Prishtina, often spelled Pristina, in Kosovo in 2001. Like many of my travels, I was moved by what I saw and the people I met. I mentioned to Spresha, whose name means hope in Albanian, that I wrote poetry from time to time. She got me to promise to write one about my experience in Kosovo. Here it is. It is called:

A Song for Prishtina
Though you’ve spoken,
I really can’t feel your pain.
Though I’ve spoken,
I feel I have to say it again.
Though you’ve told me,
I’ll never really understand.
Though I’ve told you,
I need to give a helping hand.
When I’m near you,
I don’t know what to do.
All I can say,
Is that I’ll never forget you.

I wish you freedom -
Freedom to laugh and cry.
I wish you freedom -
The freedom to question why.
Yes, the freedom
To love the way you want to live.
And most of all,
The freedom to forgive.
Truly freedom
Is worth the price you pay.
And your freedom,
May it grow day by day