Quotes from The Fortress

“Sve će proći. Ali, kakva je to utjeha? Proći će i radost, proći će i ljubav, proći će i život. Zar je nada u tome da sve prođe?”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Boj se ovna, boj se govna, a kada ću živjeti?”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Mi smo ničiji. Uvijek smo na nekoj međi, uvijek nečiji miraz. Vjekovima mi se tražimo i prepoznajemo, uskoro nećemo znati ko smo. Živimo na razmeđu svjetova, na granici naroda, uvijek krivi nekome. Na nama se lome talasi istorije kao na grebenu. Otrgnuti smo, a neprihvaćeni. Ko rukavac što ga je bujica odvojila od majke pa nema više ni toka, ni ušća, suviše malen da bude jezero, suviše velik da ga zemlja upije. Drugi nam čine čast da idemo pod njihovom zastavom jer svoju nemamo. Mame nas kad smo potrebni, a odbacuju kad odslužimo. Nesreća je što smo zavoljeli ovu svoju mrtvaju i nećemo iz nje, a sve se plaća pa i ova ljubav. Svako misli da će nadmudriti sve ostale i u tome je naša nesreća. Kakvi su ljudi Bosanci? To su najzamršeniji ljudi na svijetu, ni s kim se istorija nije tako pošalila kao sa Bosnom. Juče smo bili ono što danas želimo da zaboravimo, a nismo postali ni nešto drugo. S nejasnim osjećajem stida zbog krivice i otpadništva, nećemo da gledamo unazad, a nemamo kad da gledamo unaprijed. Zar smo mi slučajno tako pretjerano meki i surovi, raznježeni i tvrdi. Zar se slučajno zaklanjamo za ljubav kao jedinu izvjesnost u ovoj neodređenosti, zašto? Zato što nam nije svejedno. A kad nam nije svejedno znači da smo pošteni. A kad smo pošteni, svaka čast našoj ludosti !”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Čuvala me, i pored svega, onakvog kakav sam bio u njenim snovima. Čarobnjački me sastavljala od razbijenih komada, možda i ne primećujući pukotine”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Bila je tiha luka, u čiji sam mir ulazio slomljen olujom, ali srećan što se vraćam.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Najmanje se govori kad te se najviše tiče.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Postoje tri velike strasti: alkohol, kocka i vlast. Od prve dvije ljudi se nekako mogu izliječiti, od treće nikako. Vlast je i najteži porok. Zbog nje se ubija, zbog nje se gine, zbog nje se gubi ljudski lik. Neodoljiva je kao čarobni kamen, jer pribavlja moć. Ona je duh iz Aladinove lampe, koji služi svakoj budali koja ga drži. Odvojeni, ne predstavljaju ništa; zajedno, kob su ovog svijeta. Poštene i mudre vlasti nema, jer je želja za moći bezgranična. Čovjeka na vlasti podstiču kukavice, bodre laskavci, podržavaju lupeži, i njegova predstava o sebi uvijek je ljepša nego istina.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ljudima ne mogu udahnuti svoju ljubav, i oni ne mogu da mi je vrate. Gledaju me hladno, sumnjičavo odmjeravaju opasnost koja im od mene prijeti i, zatvoreni svakako, zatvaraju se još više, na prvu neočekivanu riječ, na prvi nenaviknut pokret, ili odmah napadaju, braneći se, jer više vole da ubiju nego da strahuju.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Usamljenost rađa misao, misao nezadovoljstvo, nezadovoljstvo pobunu. Ja sam bio daleko od misli na pobunu: samo sam lijeno sanjario.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Već dugo se u meni miješa vrijeme i prostor, pa ne znam gdje sam, ni kad se to desilo što mislim. Ne postoje granice, kao u pustinji, kao na nebu, i sjećanja mirno prelaze, smještajući se ondje gdje im je zgodnije. Liče na oblake, svejedno im je gdje su, svejedno im je kad nastanu i kad nestanu. To mi ne smeta, čak je ugodno: ne osjećam potrebu da išta razrješavam.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ništa ne mogu učiniti, ali mislim. Toliko mogu. Mučiću se mišlju o dobrom čovjeku koji u tvrđavi čeka smrt. Misliću i zaboraviti. Kao i tolike druge stvari. Polako postajem smetlište istruljelih jada, žaljenja, stida, mrtvih zakletvi, poniženog ponosa, i sav taj smrad nazivaću iskustvom. Već osjećam kako zaudara, još osjećam, poslije će mi biti svejedno.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ni haljinu ne valja krpiti, a kamoli ljubav. Bolje je otići.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“- Oprosti.
Bila je to najljepša riječ koju je moglo pronaći njegovo kukavičko poštenje. Tako me srećno skinuo sa savjesti i prijateljski ispratio u prošlost.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ja sam pesnica koja je udarila u zid.
Ja sam udarac koji boli onog koji udara.
Ja sam pijesak pod njihovim nogama, ptica što zanijemi kad kobac nadleti šumu, glista koju kokoš kljucne, kad izađe iz svojih podzemnih hodnika.
Ja sam mali čovjek koji je zaboravio da je mali. Uvrijedio sam ih što se usuđujem da mislim.
Zašto im treba ta osveta? Da me uplaše? Da mojom kaznom uplaše druge? Da likuju nad slabim? Da zabrane misao? Da zabrane riječ? Nikakva odgovora nisam mogao da nađem. Javio se u meni užas zbog te besmislene surovosti. Gdje smo mi? U kakvom to svijetu živimo?”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Rat je surova ali poštena borba, kao među životinjama. Život u miru je surova borba, ali nepoštena, kao među ljudima. Razlika je ogromna.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“... ono što se ne može objasniti samome sebi, treba govoriti drugome. Sebe možes obmanuti nekim dijelom slike koji se nametne, teško izrecivim osjećanjem, jer se skriva pred mukom saznavanja i bježi u omaglicu, u opijenost koja ne traži smisao. Drugome je neophodna tačna riječ, zato je i tražiš, osjećaš da je negde u tebi, i loviš je, nju ili njenu sjenku, prepoznaješ je na tuđem licu, u tuđem pogledu, kad počne da shvata.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“- Ne daš mi da spavam - rekao sam, tobože prijekorno, a ništa drugo nisam želio, ni ljepše, ni draže, nikad, u životu.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Mirišem je kao cvijet: miris čist i drag. I znam da mogu sve u životu, s njom. Držim je na rukama i njišem je polako, polako, da je odvojim od svijeta, od straha, od ružnih sjećanja, da ostanem samo ja, svuda oko nje, u nedogled, kao nebo, kao more, da je prelijem nježnošću što vri u meni kao vrutak.
Ne boj se, kažem. Volim te, kažem. Ko nam šta može, kažem. I osjećam se kao gospodar svijeta.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“The listener is the midwife in the difficult birth of the word.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Vidiš, još mislim dobro o tebi, i želim da se ponekad probudiš usred noći, i da dugo sjediš prekrštenih nogu na postelji, mučeći se kajanjem i stidom, zbog mene. Ali, neka ti je bogom prosto, nisi ti birao svoju sitnu dušu, dali su ti je, ne pitajući. Došao si na red kad drugih, boljih, više nije bilo.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ne rekavši joj ništa, ni koliko su njene riječi ljekovite, ni koliko me ohrabrila svojim povjerenjem bez razloga, zagrlio sam je nježno, kao nekad, prije sinoćnjeg događaja, bez strepnje i ustručavanja, potpuno opran, oslobođen, hrabro vedar.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“I'm slowly becoming a repository for decomposing sorrows, regrets, ignored injustice, and forgotten promises. I can still feel its stench. But when I get accustomed to it, I will call it experience.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Vrijeme nije samo proticanje, već i prisustvo. Vidljivi trag nečije ruke što je davno zapisala neravne redove, prkosi smrti, a riječi i njihov smisao žive neprekidno, kao izvor koji ne presušuje, kao svjetlo koje se ne gasi.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Najteže se govori o onome što te se najviše tiče.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ja, crv, sitan i nevažan, šta sam mogao učiniti njima, slonovima? Kakvu sam im štetu mogao nanijeti?
Ja sam pesnica koja je udarila u zid.
Ja sam udarac koji boli onoga koji udara.
Ja sam mali čovjek koji je zaboravio da je mali. Uvrijedio sam ih što se usuđujem da mislim.
Ja, ludi vrabac, pošao sam jastrebu u pohode. Jedva sam izvukao živu glavu.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ne vjerujem da mi je unaprijed zapisan put kojim ću proći, jer ne vjerujem u neki naročit red ovoga svijeta. Ne odlučujemo, već se zatičemo. Strmoglavljeni smo u igru, punu nebrojenih izmjena, jednog određenog trenutka, kad nas samo ta prilika čeka, jedina koja nas može sačekati, u toku miješanja. Ne možes je zaobići, ni odbiti. Tvoja je, kao voda u koju padneš. Pa plivaš, ili potones.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Sjetio sam se priče, nena mi je pričala, davno, o karanđolozu, crnom demonu, koji o Božiću sačekuje ljude na mračnim raskršćima, i popne im se na leđa, smrdljiv i težak. Čovjek ga nosi i posrće pod težinom, zagušen smradom, obamro od straha, a karanđoloz ga pita: jesam li težak? Čovjek stenje i kaže ono što misli: težak si. Karanđoloz postane još teži. Ujutru nađu čovjeka mrtva. Ali ko odgovori: nisi težak, spašće se, jer karanđoloza odmah nestane, i čovjek je slobodan. Zbog te riječi hrabrosti, zbog riječi prkosa. Docnije sam mislio da je to priča o životu: ako se tužimo kako nam je teško, klonućemo; ako kažemo životu: izdržaću, nećeš me slomiti, muka postaje lakša.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Bilo mi je lijepo, bio sam gotovo srećan. Zurio sam u blistavu vodu, satima, i puštao da mi preko ruke prelazi obli talasić, dragajući me, kao da je živ stvor. I to je bilo sve što sam htio, sve što sam želio.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Ali mu ne dam zadovoljstvo da se opere mojom grubom riječi, toliko nije zaslužio.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

“Nikad čovjek ne može tako upropastiti život kao kad želi da ga popravi, a ne zna ni zašto ni kako da ga popravi, niti znam je li to popravljanje ili kvarenje, pogotovo ako izgubim svoj mir.”
― Meša Selimović, quote from The Fortress

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