Ankica Anchie - Poetry cycle
Moderator 
Ankica Anchie, Croatia
Humanist, Poetessa and writer
THE NIGHT THAT DOES NOT FORGIVE
This poem speaks of a night that asks for no justification.
Of a city that does not save, but does not lie.
Of a body that knows where illusion ends
and where truth begins.
“Beauty is never innocent.
It always carries a trace of darkness
by which we remember it.”
THE NIGHT THAT DOES NOT FORGIVE
The city changed its clothes at night.
Bread became wine.
Smiles - offers.
Lights burned
like wounds that refuse to heal.
I carried the scent of a day
that had lost its innocence.
Of skin,
of smoke,
of choices that cannot be washed away with soap.
In that scent there was no regret,
only presence.
I walked slower
than what is considered wise.
The stone beneath my feet was warm,
like a body that remembers
too many touches.
The city received me
without questions
and without promises.
In a shop window I saw my face.
It did not ask for forgiveness.
It offered no explanations.
It was the face of a woman
who knows
that every passion
has its price,
and that it is paid with truth.
I remembered hands
that wanted to possess
what they did not know how to love.
Lips that said forever
while already searching for an exit.
In that memory
there was no anger,
only the dense bitterness
of the last sip of wine.
I entered a bar
where tables cling to fingers
and silence is louder than music.
I ordered a drink
that burns.
I wanted to feel
where I was still alive.
No one asked me anything.
That was a luxury.
When I returned home,
the night stayed on me
like a nameless perfume.
Like a sin
that does not ask for forgiveness
because it knows
it was true.
I lay down without prayer.
Without a plan.
My body knew
it had survived
another night
in which it did not run
from itself.
And that was enough.
II.
INTRODUCTION
This poem does not come as redemption.
It comes as continuation.
Like a morning that does not erase the night,
but accepts it as part of itself.
“Peace is not the opposite of passion.
It is what remains of it
when it knows how to stay.”
THE MORNING THAT REMAINS
I woke up
without urgency.
Without the need to check
whether I was still the same.
Morning was already there,
quiet,
like someone who has entered before.
There were no traces of drama in the room.
Only air
that could be breathed.
The scent of night still lingered at the edges,
but it did not suffocate.
It was a memory,
not a threat.
I opened the window.
The city was ordinary.
Honest in its indifference.
People went to work,
birds argued over crumbs,
someone somewhere was already late.
The world knew nothing
about my night,
and that calmed me.
The body woke more slowly than the mind.
It did not defend itself.
It asked for no explanations.
It was simply there -
whole,
without shame,
without the need to justify itself.
I remembered the wine,
the streets,
the looks that promised nothing.
None of it pulled me back.
Everything stood
in its place,
like a book that has been read
without the need to reopen it.
I made coffee.
I sat down.
My hands were calm.
I did not think about love
or about endings.
Only about how good it feels
to be present
without a role.
If the night was truth,
the morning was not a lie.
It was consequence.
The quiet part of the story
that does not seek an audience.
And then I understood:
not everything must continue
to have meaning.
Some things
end correctly
precisely because
they know how to stop.
I finished my coffee.
The day began.
Without signs.
Without promises.
And I stayed.
Not because I had to,
but because I could
be at peace
in my own skin.
And that was
the most accurate continuation.
EPILOGUE
I do not carry the night with me
as a burden.
Nor the morning
as a promise.
I carry only the knowledge
that I was there
where I did not run away.
And that is enough
to go on
without the need
to look back.
Ankica Anchie - Croatian Poet and Writer
Ankica Anchie, one of Croatia’s most celebrated poets and writers, has been named by the international platform Barcelona Adabia as one of the 100 Most Influential Literary Figures in the World for 2025. This prestigious recognition highlights her profound impact on contemporary literature and her role in shaping global cultural discourse.
A leading voice in Croatian literature, Ankica Anchie’s work spans poetry, prose, and scholarly research, blending lyrical artistry with intellectual depth. Her writings have been translated into multiple languages, allowing her to share Croatia’s literary heritage with audiences around the world. She has represented Croatia at numerous international literary festivals and conferences, establishing herself as a cultural ambassador on the global stage.
The official award ceremony will be held on December 25, 2025, in Barcelona, celebrating her outstanding contributions to literature, culture, and the arts.
Highlights:
Renowned Croatian poet and writer
Recognized as one of the 100 most influential literary figures worldwide for 2025
Works translated into multiple languages
International festival and conference participant
Advocate for Croatian culture and literature globally
Ankica Anchie continues to inspire readers and writers alike, blending emotional resonance, intellectual rigor, and universal themes in every work she creates.
