belgrade 2003

Back to my homepage here

Belgrade poems by Mister Mixup

My friend Saša Marković Mikrob died in Belgrade, June 2010. I wasn't able to go to the funeral or visit his grave, mother, father or brother until November, some four months later. After the initial grief I waited for the time when I could honour him better.
During my visit to Belgrade I wanted to visit some of the friends I have made over the years in some sort of tribute to Sash, who introduced me to many of them, and also undertake a few low profile art projects in homage to him. For myself I started to write simple verse as some sort of cathartic exercise.
I started this process on Monday 22nd November on the train to London. I stayed for two days in London at my friend Kates house, before flying out to Belgrade, and the first batch of poems were about people I know in London and some others back home. This helped me get into the rhythm of writing and by the time I was in Belgrade the poems told the story of my visit and the people I met in a simple but direct way. I wrote my last poem on Tuesday 30th November on the flight back to the UK and they run in a chronological order of those nine days.

In London

My Faraway Friend

This is the beginning
Of the end
Finish with the past
It all depends

The story is happy
The story is sad
The story is great
For which I'm glad

How did it start
Why did it end
How did I meet
My faraway friend

I'm going to found out
How will it go
Some say yes
Some say no

Maybe it's fate
I will see
Others said
It's destiny

Which ever the way
Or idle chatter
Never you mind
It doesn't really matter

Two Old People

I Know two old people
Who live on a boat
With everything they need
To keep them afloat

Adventures on land
Adventures at sea
I've often wondered
Who they could be

Saving Souls

I'm saving souls
Of people I know
And saving souls
I Don't know

I wake them up
And they're mine to keep
Then I put them away
And they go to sleep

They bring me fun
They bring me joy
But others see them
As just a toy

Whatever it is
That you seek
Play these souls
And they will speak

I Like

I Like tea in the morning
I Like beer in the evening
I Like food all day
I Like to live that way

I Put on my socks
Take off my shoes
It's up to me
Which way I choose

Angel

She floats through the air
With the greatest of ease
Everyone she meets
Eager to please

A life of learning
A mission to teach
Happy are those
She manage's to reach

The Cook, his Bike and Photobooth

Most of the day
He spends cooking food
Sometimes it depends
On what is his mood

But when he is feeling
Very very hip
He tells the whole story
In a photobooth strip

He rides his bicycle
All over the city
Through streets both
Rough and smooth

He's coming this way
To meet his friends
And use his trusty
Old photobooth

Magic Words

Like a model
with a perfect face
She arrives
To make her case

Keen to write
A magic word
Maybe it's about
The absurd

She probes and finds
What we do
Watch and learn
And join in too

Enquire and find
What she wants to be
Full of excitement
And energy

Now I know
And we have met
Read her words
On the Internet

Magic and Tricks

Pushing buttons
And flicking a switch
That's how
She makes everything twitch

Shining lights
And pictures that work
In no dark corners
Will they lurk

It's easy to say
It's all magic and tricks
But that's the way
She gets her kicks

Clever

A boy thinks I'm deaf
A girl thinks I'm blind
They both think my memory
Is lost in my mind

But when they hear
Me listen and look
They know I will write it
Down in a book

So that they know
For ever and ever
That I was really
Quite very clever

In Belgrade

Spirit

I came to find a spirit
And shake it by the hand
I Know he lives here somewhere
Because this is his land

I went to a place
With a window as a door
To see the spirits face
So I could be sure

It Knew I had been
To ask the question why
And it knew I had been
To say my last goodbye

Big Idea's

It was nice to meet
And share a drink
Take a moment
So we could think

About the things
We like to do
And all the dreams
We want want to do

We want to sing
We want to write
We want to paint
Day and night

To plant a seed
So we can show
The big idea's
We can grow

Belgrade Mum and Dad

With every visit
I Feel OK
Though some things
Are done a different way

I Don't know why
But I'm glad
They're my Belgrade
Mum and dad

Lunchtime Chat

We met again
And walked the street
Ate a bar
A chocolate treat

Talking of kids
And people afar
What is the future
And how they are

We both agree
The young will find
Our world has changed
To a different kind

Freeze Frame

Making sure
That all is good
Living life
The way it should

Freezing the people
Who play their sport
One second, they move
One second, they're caught

A moment to play
The most important game
A moment to put
The picture in the frame

A Garden in the city

Changing words
To mean the same
It's his business
And not a game

With a little chocolate
And a welcome beer
I'm very happy
To be here

We talk of days
Long gone by
And other days
We don't know why

We enter a garden
I said "Yes please"
A garden in the city
Of tall dark tree's

On the wall
The time is told
By a clock
That is very old

We came together
To talk of a friend
To find a message
That we can send

To those that knew
About his fire
And those that didn't
We can inspire

Gathered Crowd

Reputation alone
Makes her name
Creating clothes
Which are never the same

We sit and talk
With the gathered crowd
Drink and smoke
And getting loud

About some things
That maybe he
Then a moments pause
And let it be

A photo is fun
When wearing a mask
So when I remember
I always ask

If they will
And if they can
All join in
My picture plan

We had a laugh
And felt OK
Then it's time to go
On our way

The spirits voice

In the kitchen
A feast is laid
More old friends
That I've made

Come to eat
And make no fuss
We have lots
To discuss

We want to hear
The spirits voice
What he tells us
Is his choice

Will he whisper
Or will he shout
Or will he tell us
To "Get out"

Whatever his word
We will let it in
To be sure
That we will win

Our friends devotion
All the while
And live in hope
With a smile

All that jazz

Talking of films
And music that has
Come from the past
And all that jazz

Still our passion
Is very strong
We still want to hear
Every song

And tell our friends
And people we meet
That every tune
Has a different beat

We three agree
With all our heart
Improvisation
Is a special art

Making sure
It's not to much
We write it down
To keep in touch

To share our thoughts
In any way
And all that jazz
Everyday

Positive

When I came here
I came with a tear
But when I go
I want to show

We want to live
And be positive
And make it clear
That every year

There's things to keep
And things to give
Things maybe small
But things for all

Mystery Girl

As the day turns to dusk
I'm waiting to see
The girl from the past
Full of mystery

We meet and greet
And soon it is clear
As we go in
I want to be near

Philosophy
All to explain
The way she likes
My working brain

Looking at stars
And lights in the sky
The reality we see
If we could fly

Cosy and warm
It would be nice
No need, I say
To ask me twice

Don't Know

A great black hole
Full of despair
Cold and dark
With a chill in the air

Stalking the room
With nowhere to go
Saying to me
"I just don't know"

It's much to difficult
For him to say
What is art
And which is the way

I offer a word
Of thought and praise
Then he knows
There are many ways

To lift the spirit
And lighten the load
To take a turning
On a new road

Snowdrop

Snowdrop is here
And all the while
She offers us drinks
With a smile

She looks and laughs
As we play the fool
Pretending to be
Just as cool

Her eye is keen
For a canvas to use
It's clear to see
She's more than a muse

Party for us

Leaving together
From the Alladin's cave
"See you tomorrow"
We give them a wave

Buy a bottle
Catching a bus
On our way
A party for us

Wecolmed in
I see a mate
So long ago
So long to wait

Music and laughs
With talk and chatter
Getting drunk
And constant natter

The wedding which is
Six years long
Brings them together
In love and song

I came along
With the mystery girl
I know her well
I'm in a whirl

Just before dawn
A day that's new
I whispered to her
"I really like you"

Wait and See

I called my friends
As soon as they were free
They found a way
To be with me

Let's wait and see
How it will be
Let's talk some more
We don't know, what for

Norman and Roman
Viking and Celt
How we were made
And how we felt

Somehow we feel
In our Ivory tower
The music we knew
Still has the power

Great words and books
Of literacy
From my homeland
We all agree

Another strange story
Chased with a knife
A colourful tapestry
Such is life

The Host

Invited to eat
Enjoy and be free
The room is full
For all to see

Beautiful paintings
A glass of wine
What do we like?
Then we dine

The host, she keeps
Everything right
Quietly moving
Throught the night

I like her place
But cannot stay
I would if I could
And have my way

A Lament

Same time same place
But a brand new week
More plans to make
More things to seek

A cage for children
A place to invent
The Belgrade blues
A perfect lament

Musical notes
As he sat
A strange looking piper
For every cat

Then, an idea
He wants a shave
We look for a place
A hairy grave

Sitting down
I film the scene
Losing his beard
Where has it been?

Now it's gone
He leaves a clue
Out with the old
And in with new

Belgrade Mixup

A part of my life
Lives in this city
When I leave
Seems like a pity

I know so many
I know their home
When I come here
I like to roam

But maybe I must
Find a way
To let it all go
And call it a day

My friend is gone
Who brought me here
Now I don't know
It's not very clear

Has my time
Come to an end
Should I bid farewell
To every friend

But life's big lesson
Is never say no
We can't say
When we will go

So, I'll leave it open
And keep on the track
Just in case
I decide to come back

Belgrade

Belgrade Belgrade
How are you made?
People and places
With happy faces

Belgrade Belgrade
Will never fade
The suns shining rays
For a thousand days

Belgrade Belgrade
With something to trade
But if you are wise
Wear a disguise