Beneath the Shell

Clear sky.
It unsettles me.
I find no comfort in a sky devoid of clouds,
perhaps it is my own inner struggle.
I've never been fond of clarity,
As though I fear the truth itself.

It’s simpler to linger within the veil of white mist,
Convincing myself that the ravenous wolves are just tired hounds,
That no one truly mourns, only eyes blurred by the wind’s caress

I fear the clear sky,
For I dread the reality of everything
You impose upon me.
When the lover erases the clouds with a soft sponge,
I retreat beneath the shell,
Like a crab too afraid to meet the ocean floor

Pija Lucija Kralj (2001), a master's student in Sociology at the University of Ljubljana and a writer from Slovenia. I've written three young adult novels: Nikogaršnja (2015), Julija (2016), and Basist nikoli ne dobi bejbe (2023). In 2019, a film adaptation of Julija was released.

In 2024, I was fortunate to be selected for an artist residency in London, supported by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia. During this time, I completed my first poetry collection, S figami ob vinu, which will be published in June 2025. Along the way, I’ve received some recognition for my work, including a short story award from AirBeletrina in 2024, and I was honored to win the main prize from Ventilator besed. I'm also grateful to have won first place for my unpublished poetry book, which will be released this june.