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Aug 2023 · 371
Flickering Flower (2021)
Jan Svoboda Aug 2023
Cheese eats
Window stares
Stars gaze
Women talk
Souls sings
Toilet is there
Heart beats
Blood breaks
**** vomits
Words fail
Flower flickers
In the wind
Women smiling
Drinking wine and beer
Stripped dress
Big ***
Beer bottles of the men

Ukrainian ******* has time
After work
to drink wine

Curly-haired girls
in white shirts
Glass touch glass

Nice nose profile
Ventilator whirling spirals

The owner smiling
Locked down and set free

Boys like from the French movies
Leo drinking a lot
The beer pouring on the knees

Bartenders in face masks
Naked back in the blue dress
8.6.2021 (Vršovice, Prague)
Aug 2023 · 332
Clouds (2019)
Jan Svoboda Aug 2023
Thundering far away
You want to go to play
The squeezebox
By the church
About breathing
While breathing

But there is the blond one
Close to you
Smoking icos
Writing something
In the phone

And the brewery is opening soon
You want to talk to her
But remain silent
It is better to keep
Your mouth shut
She wears the ring
You wear the ring

The rib pain
Over your heart
Makes you tired
Makes you sleep
In the late spring heat

The wind starts blowing
The storm is coming
The boys are jumping
Into the water

The girl is taking
Her bra down
With elegance
Putting a light shirt on
Smoking icos

She folds the towel
Put a helmet on
And slowly leaves
With orange tires
On the small bike

The storm is gone
The warm wind is breezing
Over the pond
(written by the Jinočany pond, recorded in Krteň on 15.6.2019)
Aug 2023 · 937
Needle (2020)
Jan Svoboda Aug 2023
I feel like a needle
In the groove of vinyl  
Running
Sounding
Vibrating
Singing
Her bitumen

The grooves are cut
Deep in the mud
For you to sound well
Designed
As you are
20.10.2020
Aug 2023 · 335
Plow Wheel (2022)
Jan Svoboda Aug 2023
Just like three ice-cold snowballs
On the rusty plow wheel
Three piles of pressed flakes
In the morning appeal
You ask yourself
Whose brain
Whose hands
Whose tongues
That feel
Like this warm wet rag
Around your feet
Circling fingertips
On the line between
Your hair and skin

19.1.2022
Aug 2023 · 225
Dandelion (2020)
Jan Svoboda Aug 2023
Love is like a dandelion
Little healing sun
Growing everywhere
On the outside

Just like ****
Overwhelming
Killing
Suffocating
Other flowering

Cruel, unstoppable,
Inevitable, forbidden
With bitter white juices
Beating death when given

Dandelove



23/4/2020, Raichlova, Prague
Feb 2017 · 376
Zero (2000)
Jan Svoboda Feb 2017
The buzz of the computer gets me down
does?’t stimulate it at all
condemned to doing nothing
****** to worthlessness
a zero with nothing to lose and nothing to win
drowning itself in chaos of meanings
with no final meaning in sight
sure sure
death will be the final meaning of it
there is one more year left
maybe more maybe more
one more year is like one hundred of them
and it wants to sin
for that short feeling of freedom
flattening itself on the ground and twitching
flattening itself on the ground and twitching
saying anything that comes to its mind
making noise
with some ability to defend it against the rest of the world
provoking distress and detestation
always somehow trying to throw others into the arms of disillusion and pain
tchutchutchu
childishly trying to do what others don’t
with little success
destroyed by its inability to understand feelings
still the same *******
a zero asking for being erased
with nothing to say
with poor style
with no gentle moments anymore
repeating itself all the time
boring and lifeless
faceless
a desperate but sometimes convincing actor
hopeless writer
mean
ugly
weak
lazy and soft
not a man but it
a cry-baby
with undefinable ambitions
like doing something that would touch somebody
like make others trust it
by saying the ******* it usually says
like gaining unspeakable high virtue
by being something close to a *****
genius, indian, bohemian, child and pig
not knowing what it does or why
not knowing what it does or why
drinking too much
shaking legs under the table endlessly
eating too quickly
making everything around stained and *****
smoking too quickly
hating itself
adoring itself
stupid
animal
with a few natural instincts
making too much about itself
with no will
strength or (chances to stay)
not even strong enough to **** itself
with no peace
with no love
with no listeners
zero
with nothing to lose
and nothing to win
how can anybody trust it
how can anybody trust it
people beware
it ***** you up

with no peace
with no love
with no listeners
zero
with nothing to lose
and nothing to win
how can anybody trust it
how can anybody trust it
people beware
it ***** you up
——
The Department of English and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, 2000
Feb 2017 · 742
Weak Today (2017)
Jan Svoboda Feb 2017
It could be the cold outside
Empty chairs
TV crime stories
The buzz of ventilator
Mixed with silent humming of the characters

Silence and quietness
Among indecipherable voices
Meditation over a beer glass
Smoking ceremony

Cynicism unspoken
Listening to your breath
Second beer unfinished
Being restless from the absence of fear

Unable to catch one’s line of thoughts
Emotions uncertain
Not an easy day - troubled father

Only scattered images like
Frozen grass
Sticking out of
Icy snow
Who will ever paint it all
In one frame?
Řeporyje, Czech Rep., 31.1.2017
Jan 2017 · 451
Night Stroll (2017)
Jan Svoboda Jan 2017
Snow flakes look like stars
White pillows on the cars
Two glasses of beer and one Czech ***

Outside, sugared lion behind the windows
Inside, old type-writers under the windows
The nicotine yellow short lace curtains on the panes

You are here and you are not here
Pickled soft cheese, bread and beer

And you still have not sent
The value added tax
The workers are tired
they need to relax

Your belly itches

They talk about cars

It could be the pine
Could be the willow
Or the lights behind the window

Řeporyje, Czech Republic, 11.1.2017, full moon
Jul 2016 · 455
Morning Bus (1996)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2016
Morning bus
Evening tram
Isn’t it the same… isn’t it the same?

Your closed eyes on a hot red seat
Your handsome body stretched out like meat
Isn’t it the same, isn’t it the same, still the same?

Morning bus
Evening tram
Go under water down into the dam

I’d fall in love with you
But I’ve got one small problem you know
I go under water into the dam

But if you don’t mind
Just take my arm
Hook into mine
like the last time

But if you don’t mind
Just take my arm
Hook into mine
And we’ll go to drown

Morning girls
Evening boys
All look like toys
Making noise
Hi, ciao, ahoj

Morning bus
At 7 o’clock
An old ugly brunette
****** my ****
I know it is just a toy
a toy making noise

Freezing morning
Warm night
The way seen
Is not quite bright

Upon an eye fallen profiles of things
Upon a tongue cut out shadows that shrinks
The road having been gone
Is not yet quite bright

But if you don’t mind
Just take my arm
Hook into mine
like the last time

But if you don’t mind
Just take my arm
Hook into mine
And we’ll go to drown

— some 1996 or 1997 in Brno
Sep 2015 · 424
Females (1996)
Jan Svoboda Sep 2015
HEY BABY COME WITH ME
HEY BABY COME UNTIL I BREATH
I GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SEE
IT IS NO **** INDEED

La La lalala

HEY BABY DON’T BE SCARED
I’LL LOVE THE THING I HAVE
IT’LL BE REALLY SOMETHING NEW
COME AND SEE IT’S TRUE

La La lalala

AND NOW WHEN YOU’VE COME
I GOT TO COME
WITH YOUR LOOK SUSPICIOUS
AND MY SO VISCOUS

La La lalala

IN FACT I SPIT AT YOU
YOU DON’T THING IT’S CRUEL
‘CAUSE YOU GOT WHAT YOU’D WANTED
AND I COULDN’T HOLD IT

La La lalala

PLEASE DON’T CRY
AND COME AGAIN WITH PRIDE
COME AGAIN WITH ME
THERE WON’T BE ANY KILLING
La La lalala
MAYBE
La La lalala
MAY BE
La La lalala
MAY BE
La La lalala
BABY MAYBE
Jul 2015 · 1.1k
All in Black (1995)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
BLACK “BRAUN” WATCH
BLACK SPACE
BLACK IN THE CROTCH
BLACK IN THE FACE
BLACK COFFEY
BLACK SHABBY BONES
BLACK COLD TEA
BLACK SICK THOUGTHS
BLACK ******* LIFE
BLACK BALL UNDER A HAT
BLACK RUSTED KNIFE
BLACK PERSON IN ITS BED

BLACK … ALL IN BLACK

BLACK SHADE PULLING DOWN
BLACK TOO-LONG DAYS
BLACK WOMAN IN HER NIGHT-GOWN
BLACK OPINIONS ON GAYS
BLACK I
BLACK DEAD PEOPLE
BLACK GIFT-GIVING NIGHT
BLACK WORM IN THE APPLE
BLACK FOGGY FUTURE
BLACK GIRLS THAT I’VE MET
BLACK AWAITING VULTURE
BLACK IDEA IN MY HEAD

BLACK … ALL IN BLACK

BLACK STAINED WINDOW
BLACK FOREST UPON
BLACK COFFIN WHER I GO
BLACK CANCER THAT TURNS ME ON

BLACK … ALL IN BLACK
written on 20.6.1995
Jul 2015 · 416
Brain Cells (1995)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
Unhealthy feeling - inward bleeding
the cause is unknown - I’ve grown old

It could have been my invention - or just sort of speculation
I feel empty at home - so I wanna be blown

Blown away…
where the fierce river flows
Blown away…
to be drowned or stay alive
Blown away…
where to survive means to win
Blown away…
into the fierce river called life
written on 14.8.1995
Jul 2015 · 504
Charmain (1997)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
CHARMAIN
WHAT ARE WE UP TO
CHARMAIN
IT MIGHT SOUND A BIT CRUEL
BUT THE WHITE PRESSURE GOES HIGH
SO WHY DON’T YOU CALL ME TONIGHT

CHARMAIN
WHILE YOU’RE EATING IN THE CANTEEN
CHARMAIN
MY FINGERS ARE TREMBLING
I JUST CANNOT ROLL A CIGARETTE, CHRIST
SO WHY DON’T YOU CALL ME TONIGHT

CHARMAIN
A **** IS AN ANIMAL
CHARMAIN
IT WANTS TO HAVE IT ALL
IT NEEDS A ****, ****, ****...
SO WHY DON’T YOU CALL ME TONIGHT

CHARMAIN
YOU’RE NINETEEN YEARS OLD
CHARMAIN
I’M GETTING BOLD AND OLD
BUT JUST ONE GLIMPSE OF YOUR BLACK EYE
AND I FEEL HIGH
SO WHY DON’T YOU CALL ME TONIGHT


THANKS FOR THE SMILES YOU GAVE ME
THANKS FOR THE EYES YOU HAVE
IT MADE ME FEEL AS IF YOU LIKED ME
IT MADE ME FEEL RELAXED
written in Malta 1997
Jul 2015 · 584
EASYGOING (1996)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
I ain’t understand
why a man is lazy
having a bath
having dreams

I ain’t understand
why this is right
and why the ****
that is wrong

******* mess is everywhere
jesus christ
what’s going on

I aint understand
my tearful eyes
when I lose something
I aint understand

and who understands
when I am angry
who takes only the precious things
could be God or maybe some *****
both come down here and
have a drink

Why don’t I appreciate the goodness of people?
In any time and in any mood…
I ain’t understand why I’m angry
There is no reason, it’s just need
I gotta go weeping gotta go howling
you go off it’ll be a high speed

But I understand why I go to crap
It feels good there is nothing better
I understand… sometimes there is nothing better
it’s all about satisfying your needs
Once you wanna ****, once you need to crap
Once you wanna talk up, once you need to eat

Look at the things you really need….
See the things you really need…
written on 9th May 1996, Zlín-Jižní Svahy, Czech Republic
Jul 2015 · 447
Matches (1997)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
STREET AND A CUTE BODY STANDING BY THE CORNER
LOOKING AROUND
YOU’RE ONLY PASSING BY LETTING IN
THE NICE SIGHT

IF YOU LOVE THIS WORLD
SO SAY IT’S RIGHT
IF YOU LOVE THIS WORLD
SAY THAT’S RIGTH

THEN AT NIGHT ON THE WAY TO BED
YOU GET LOST
YOU ASKED FOR IT YOU BEGGED FOR IT
THERE YOU ARE

NOW THE PEACE IS GONE
AND YOUR BED IS FAR
A BEAST’S LYING ON YOU BOY
ON YOU GIRL

BUT THEN IN THE MORNING GOD HUGS THEE
SO YOU CAN SAIL ON
FOR YOU’RE JUST A MATCH IN THE SEA
THAT BOGS MAKE FLOAT

IF YOU GOT A LIGHT
SO GO AND SHINE
KEEP GLOWING
UNTIL YOU SINK DOWN

IF YOU GOT THE LIGHT
GO AND SHINE
KEEP GLOWING
UNTIL YOU SINK DOWN

I’M DRIFTING WOOD
PIECE OF WOOD
DRIFTING WOOD
I’M A MATCH

——
(Malta, 1997)
Jul 2015 · 484
Hey Ben (1997)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
Hey Benny,
I gotta tell you you're doing extremely well
right man you are on your way
if you keep your eyes wide open
if you keep standing on your feet
if you keep doing all the crazy things
you will be the one of few
who crashed their own fear
aaa you don't believe me buddy
alright now just listen
you can see inside of you, can't you?
you can admit all the ****-ups, can you not?
well man most people usually don't do it and
they don't want to see their problems Ben
they don't want to see inside of themselves
cause they always have something to lose
they are slaves
you know they would lose
something or somebody
oh yes the scared slaves
slaves under control of fear
all terrified of loosing

but Ben you are free
Ben you are no slave
you are no slave
you don't be scared
you are ready for defeats

Evertime you lose
you win anyway Ben

You have certain things you like
and you do them
isn't that right, isn't that right man?
one more thing on my mind now
you'd better not talk to people
the way you talk to yourselves
at least not so often
man they are not worth it
they are scared
and they don't want to show it
no they are scared

but you don't worry
'cause you are the one
who crashed his own fear
------
Brno, Czech Republic, 1997
Jul 2015 · 750
Two Flies (1997)
Jan Svoboda Jul 2015
It's another morning full of emptiness
when six is sick and life is nothingness
it's the same as yesterday as the days before
though today I am not alone
she's beautiful young insane
probably a *****
***** on dope
***** on dope
***** on dope
I don't even know her name
and she doesn't believe that my name Jan
we keep asking each other for our names
none of us hears an answer
we keep asking each other for our names
none of us understands
lying on my bed
watching a white ceiling
I think of helping her
I think of healing
she is sitting there
with her legs crossed
the mute child is slightly swaying
looking nowhere
Karla, Světlanka or a black-haired ghost
her door is closed
she needs someone to open it with
I do not know how
who will call the locksmith
who will call the locksmith
when none of can move
I feel like a *******
and she wants to be soothed
two flies are hanging on a curtain
in a blacked out room
I've been watching them for a long time
they are dead or just don't move
they are dead or just don't move
two flies
Written in Brno, Bystrc in February 1997
Jun 2015 · 354
Wet Grass (2009)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
Wet grass waving
Into the rock
Spring rain beating
The tree leaves
Wind sings about
Flying falcon far away
Above the pit-rock
Tree-like spine fire
Heats the flash
Boiling the rain
Sky roars
Current heals
While falcon flies away
Falcon flies far away
19.6.2009, Praha-Stodůlky ("on the snail rock")
Jun 2015 · 773
Seagulls (2009)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
Swallows swallow mosquitoes
With my blood

My shadow lying on the ground
Is taller than me

Tobacco smoke hanging
In the morning air

While four seagulls
Fly against the river flow

My quartz
Is not on me

Super 8 mm Quartz

The fisherman's summer
Should wait

Swallows swallow mosquitoes
With my blood
July, 2009, Spytihněv
Jun 2015 · 318
Pod Lipama (2011)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
Give me just one word
Just one word
Hornet flying round my beer

Give me twilight bird
Twilight bird
Right sounds buzzing in my ear

Give me just one ear
Just one ear
And perhaps I'll learn to speak

Give me just one song
Just one song
I can breathe through in this year

Dizzy head, glassy eye and I
I got nothing else here to despise

And the full moon's answering
2011, Zlín
Jun 2015 · 309
Low (2009)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
THOUGHTS ARE SHORT
WORDS ESCAPE LIKE FLIES
OXYGEN IS LOW
FAT’S BURNING FAST
MIND FORGETTING TIME
WHERE AM I?
WHERE AM I?

UNDER WATER
BREATHING OUT
UNDER WATER
WITH THE LIZZARDS
UNDER WATER
CATCHING FLIES
UNDER WATER
SPEECHLESS

THOUGHTS ARE SHORT
WORDS ESCAPE LIKE FLIES
OXYGEN IS LOW
FAT’S BURNING FAST
MIND FORGETTING TIME
WHERE AM I?
WHERE AM I?
May 2009, Praha
Jun 2015 · 535
Pine Tree (2015)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
Distant traffic noise
Coming from all sides
Pine tree arbour
In the middle of the fields
It's where you reside, where you reside, where you reside
At night

Suburban ghost
You freak me out
With the wind waves
Making the dried leaves sound
It's when I forget, when I forget, when I forget
I am going to die

Little rain drops
Coming down
On the wet wood
In the burning fire
It's where I reside, where I reside, where I reside
At night

Almost sleeping
And beer drunk
Tripping over
Lying on the ground
It's when I forget, when I forget, when I forget
I am going to die

On the bench
In the pine tree arbour
Birds are singing
In the morning breeze
It's where I reside, where I reside, where I reside
Thinking over

Feeding the brain
With my brother
Smoking and
Singing with the birds
It's when I forget, when I forget, when I forget
Soon all will be over
May 2015, Halenkovice/Praha-Stodůlky/Czech Republic
Jun 2015 · 435
You don't (2008)
Jan Svoboda Jun 2015
We have
Been there
Remember?
I don't
What a blast it was
Thee yeaaaah!!!
I do
You don't
Original version was written in Czech: ?
MY JSME
TAM BYLI
VZPOMÍNÁŠ?
JÁ NE
TO BYLA RANA
TY JO
JÁ JSEM
TY NE TY NE TY NE

— The End —