THE MOTHER OF GOD

I want to gaze upon your gentle, smiling face,

as you quietly wrap your child in linen and cotton cloth.

His smile tells you

that a heavenly gift rests in your arms.

And then — a scream.

Your scream, for they are taking your Son to be killed.

I return in thought to the cradle.

You hold Him close to your chest,

singing softly as He drifts into sleep.

The next moment —

your inconsolable heart beneath the cross,

among wicked men

casting lots for the clothes He wore.

Two scenes intertwine:

life and death,

an image bearing the Son of God,

a body made into a temple.

And now… all carries the scent of death.

You loved Him with your whole being,

wished Him only good,

yet evil spun its snares

through the servants of darkness.

Only a tear of joy remains

as you lay Him in a wooden cradle:

 “Good night, my son.”

And a tear of sorrow

as you embrace His lifeless body:

“Please, call me to meet You soon.

Without You, this life has no meaning.”

It plays out endlessly,

like a film that never ends:

death, tears, salvation —

telling us: the death of the body is a beginning.

Mother of God,

Suffering One,

there is no greater pain than yours,

but no deeper comfort

than your eternal embrace.

For no suffering

is greater

than yours.

Maja Milojković was born in Zaječar and divides her life between Serbia and Denmark. In Serbia, she serves as the deputy editor-in-chief at the publishing house Sfairos in Belgrade. She is also the founder and vice president of the Rtanj and Mesečev Poets’ Circle, which counts 800 members, and the editor-in-chief of the international e-magazine Area Felix, a bilingual Serbian-English publication. She writes literary reviews, and as a poet, she is represented in numerous domestic and international literary magazines, anthologies, and electronic media. Some of her poems are also available on the YouTube platform. Maja Milojković has won many international awards. She is an active member of various associations and organizations advocating for peace in the world, animal protection, and the fight against racism. She is the author of two books: Mesečev krug (Moon Circle) and Drveće Želje (Trees of Desire). She is one of the founders of the first mixed-gender club Area Felix from Zaječar, Serbia, and is currently a member of the same club. She is a member of the literary club Zlatno Pero from Knjaževac, and the association of writers and artists Gorski Vidici from Podgorica, Montenegro.