Rozi Theohari 

Lynn, Massachusetts, USA 

Rozi Theohari came from Albania to America in 1994. She is studying at North Shore Community College in Lynn, MA, where she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Society. She has published several poems in the local newspapers. Also, she publishes constantly in "ILLYRIA," the Albanian-American newspaper in New York. Rozi has a strong sense of self, a wonderful sense of humor, and a refreshing understanding of language, all of which are demonstrated in her work. Her professionalism most likely comes from her experiences as a writer in her native country where she published several books. A poem is just a fragile flower which can flourish only with the care of a skillful poet. 

In the old days,
The black women
Brought up white children.
Today, I,
A white girl, baby-sit
A black child,
My little curly Cherub.
Her eyes are bright
Like May sunshine.
Her skin is soft as silk.
When she smiles
Violet roses
Flush her cheeks.
She dreams of becoming a pianist,
And I a surgeon.
(Dreams are not black or white)
Little brown fingers close
Over my pink ones
Creating
A butterfly with striped wings.
By our command
The butterfly
Begins to fly....
And with it... our dreams..

In The Veteran's Death

The flag finishes fluttering
The monuments--echoing
The ocean refrains from waving
The wind ceases blowing
Birds stop migrating
Flowers stop blooming
People quit moving
The nation retreats from honoring
The invalid's wound begins cauterizing
The friend's tear lies freezing
The candles dim shinning
Children no longer smiling
WHEN THE VETERAN IS DYING