A Dance of the Souls

Poetry reading and dance performance with live guitar, based on the book of the same name by Kalina Tomova.

“Improvisation” – A Poem from the Audiobook "The Smile of the Light"

Narrated by the Author Kalina Tomova

A Poetic Portrait of Botev by Kalina Tomova

narrated by the author

Portrait of Botev

by Kalina Tomova, English translation by T.Brown

I am not worthy to portray him...
And yet, I lived for weeks in his home—
welcomed into his vast and noble heart,
touched by the fire that burned within him.

A striking man…
His eyes—mysterious wells
that held the endlessness of the universe.
His forehead—broad, unbound,
and brows—dense, like a Bulgarian tapestry.

His nose—classically shaped, near perfection.
And his lips... I dare not draw too near—
for behind them lived words so fervent,
so true—
Yet still, how might they have kissed?

I attempt to capture Botev.
I know—I fall short of his stature.
But so many days I spent with him,
so many nights…
and oh, the countless conversations we shared.

From the wind,
I gather a fleeting instant
and breathe it gently into his form.
Where mortal measures would belong,
I scatter the heavens across his eyes.

Instead of a heart, I draw a blazing flame—
for what else could burn so fiercely?
What else could shine through centuries
or melt the coldest chains?

This is my Botev!
A pillar of strength and courage—
a steady presence
in today’s, alas, divided time.
But so long as this colossus lives among us,
this timeless sentinel,
I fear not for our children—nor for myself.