Mira Mihelič

To my favourite writer

There are other remote favourites but you are the one who talks back to me. This is kind of important. Even though right now I’m not reading anybody. It’s too hot. But the best feeling in the world is to know that you are waiting. To be read.

You celebrate today (because here it’s already today) and these are the things that I wish to give you.

1. Aprite le finestre al nuovo sole. Always, opened windows and new sun.

2. That one day somebody finds your book like I found this one, on a wall, and left it there. The writer is a long-dead woman. Before opening the book I said to myself: Watch out! The title is a challenge, a riddle to be solved, a symbol of life and everything. And then it was this:

“A face in the mirror. Novel in five parts.”

3. A library shopping window with books that have a colour in its title: Blue Sky, Little Grey Mouse, Green Ship, and then, in the middle there: Hello, Red Fox. Ink is red. Fox is green.

4. Painting of sea creatures by Dača.

5. Dad’s blueberry crostata.

6. A huge sweetest watermelon from Roma with decorations from the attached cake.

7. Me, as happy reading you. Soon.

Happy birthday, Kara, and let the words and the world serve you well.

≈ Manja Maksimovič ≈