POEM - HOW MUCH I MISS YOU

KUJTIM HAJDARI  is a writer, poet, editor, literary critic, translator, publisher, and promoter. His poetry volume, The Waves of Life, is a finalist for the Best Book of 2025 award in Hollywood, which will be held in October 2025.
He writes in Albanian, Italian, and English.
So far, he has published 18 volumes of poetry and translated six volumes by other authors into English. Additionally, he has participated in 144 national and international anthologies and magazines.
He has participated in more than 50 national and international competitions, in which he has been recognized with several awards. 
He was the winner of ”The International Impact Book Awards”  in the USA in August 2025.
He has received numerous certificates and diplomas from various web groups and associations. His poetry has been enthusiastically received, attracting thousands of admirers from many countries around the world, as well as renowned poets and literary critics both domestically and internationally, who have written the highest praises.
His poems have been published in many countries around the World. They can be found in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Italy, the USA, Romania, Morocco, Egypt, Denmark, Algeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Tajikistan, Korea, China, etc. 

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HOW MUCH I MISS YOU 
(To my father)

I took my first steps into the endless world, 
And I stumbled on the cobblestone path, 
"Don't be afraid," you sweetly told me, "I am here, 
Try again, it's not easy to stand on your feet."

The world seemed like a jungle to me, a monstrosity, 
I resembled a bird just fledged from the nest, 
You gave me wings, filled my days with trust, 
When I felt your warm hand and words beside me.

You are no longer here; your absence hurts me so. 
But in memories and dreams, you always appear, 
When you followed my dreams, walking beside me, 
When you sought me out, huddled in the rain and wind.

And you taught me to embrace and face the wildness, 
To feel and love the sweetness of the morning sun, 
To seek beauty in the ordinary things, 
To recognize the evils of time and the wounds of vice.

You are no longer here, Father, how I miss your warmth, 
For me, you remain beloved and precious throughout my life, 
You stay like a star that guides ships in the dark, 
And though time separated us quickly, you sleep beyond like a saint.

©® Kujtim Hajdari


*Collected from the poet by Md Ejaj Ahamed*