Santosh Kumar Pokharel
Zlatan Demirović, a poet, translator, and editor originally from Croatia, now lives in the USA. A man of the pen with a generous heart and a deep commitment to literature, he is a trilingual writer. Over the past few years, we have been in communication, particularly after he published my book The Modesty Poems through his press, Prodigy Published-USA. Zlatan has made notable contributions to global poetry, earning recognition within the international literary community. He is my friend and poet brother.
His poem “I THINK, DO I EXIST” is a meditation on existence, identity, and the nature of consciousness. Drawing from philosophical traditions ranging from Heraclitus to Advaita Vedanta, the poem weaves a tapestry of existential inquiry, challenging the reader to question the very foundations of self-awareness. The title speaks of Descartes where the French philosopher and mathematician had said, “I think, therefore I am.”
Solipsism, Dualism and traces of agnosticism present in a single poem makes it a porridge. How to taste it is the reader’s choice.
Philosophical Depth and Structure
The opening stanza adopts a ‘Heraclitean’ perspective, emphasizing the fluidity of existence—”In every moment I’m dying and being reborn.” The poet echoes Heraclitus’ doctrine of perpetual flux, suggesting that the self is an ever-changing entity, never the same from one moment to the next.
However, the poem soon shifts into solipsistic introspection, as the speaker grapples with the illusion of the self. Lines like “Who is this ‘I’ that thinks it exists, but doesn’t give an answer, as if it doesn’t exist at all!” reflect a deep skepticism about the nature of selfhood, questioning whether the thinking “I” is anything more than an ephemeral voice.
By the final stanzas, the poet aligns with the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya, which posits that the true Self (Atman) is indistinguishable from universal consciousness (Brahman). The lines “How can I know, if silence is the language of the Universe, a quiet awareness beyond thought” evoke the non-dual realization that existence transcends individual identity, pointing toward an eternal, undivided awareness.
Critique
While the poem beautifully merges Eastern and Western thoughts, one might question its claim that “Silence is the language of the Universe.” Given our limited human understanding, the cosmos appears in a state of perpetual motion—chaotic, dynamic, and ever-evolving. Absolute silence may not define reality, but rather an ever-shifting interplay of forces beyond comprehension. The poem serves us its mixed porridge of Solipsism, Dualism and Scepticism leading to Agnosticism. It’s always a danger setfor a reader where he is lost in his whereabouts.
Conclusion
Demirović’s poem is a masterful exploration of existence, blending metaphysical doubt with spiritual insight. It challenges the reader to dissolve the illusion of the ego and consider a deeper, universal consciousness. Whether one agrees with its conclusions or not, the poem succeeds as a thought-provoking work that lingers in the mind long after reading.
May 2, 2025. Nepal.
(The Reviewer is a global multilingual poet and writer from Nepal)
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I THINK, DO I EXIST
In every moment I’m dying and being reborn.
The one from yesterday, is no longer me.
Today’s me already slips into tomorrow,
but that’s not yesterday’s me at all.
God, isn’t it just one eternal now, in which we always are?
Were we, or will we be?
The answers hide in the mirror of illusions.
Who is this “I” that thinks it exists,
but doesn’t give an answer,
as if doesn’t exist at all!
Who thinks that? Am I this “I”,
or just inner voice that plays the role?
Now I just think “I” think,
but that’s also an illusion, great illusion of existence.
How can I know, if silence is the language of the Universe,
a quiet awareness beyond thought,
just one, universal consciousness.
Without beginning or end,
it dies and reborn eternally through me.
