TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO

Before life turns cold 

and everything becomes ruins, 

two thousand years ago, 

with hope, brother, return.

By the lake in Galilee, 

see the boat with fishermen. 

The Savior has entered it 

and waits for you to come near.

With Him, set sail instantly 

to the land of the Gadarenes. 

Listen to His voice in the roar – 

the brightest ray from on high.

And there, on the cushion, in fatigue, 

when the Lord lies down to sleep, 

don’t stay silent like the rest, 

but press your palm to His hand.

Tell Him: "Only with You, God, 

I am ready to endure the storm! 

You cannot sleep! It’s not possible, 

when I can’t find any rest!

Rebuke, divine winds! 

Stretch out a Heavenly hand! 

And let, from Your voice, cursed, 

the terrifying waves be hushed!"

With this all-powerful Faith, 

return to the future, even to today. 

And see how the wicked waves of the beast 

make this world so wretched.

Rebuke them! With the Breath of Christ! 

And with the two-edged Sword, defeat them! 

And then – in Peter's nets, 

gather joyful tears... 

Stefan Glavchev 

(The Bird Within You)

FAITH IN A DIFFERENT TIME

The world is a monstrous yoke.  

It oppresses with cursed spirits.  

And only with Faith in a different time  

do I save my dreams.

To unfold the covenant in an instant  

and return centuries back.  

To come back to my Lord  

as a recognized Jew.

Let the Baptist prophesy  

from the waters of the Jordan.  

Let Bethesda stir  

for some poor soul in anguish.

Let heaven open in a moment  

before faithful Nathaniel.  

Let angels descend from above  

upon Rachel's children.

Let me climb the mountain,  

illuminated by a Heavenly beam,  

and may the garment, infinitely Holy,  

be a Day for my spirit.

To witness the Holy Supper  

with Jacob, Peter, and John.  

And to find myself among them -  

tested, faithful, called.

Zacchaeus, gazing at the mulberry tree,

or the blind man Bartimaeus…

Everywhere, a Morning Star

will crush the dark villain.

With Her I want to live  

and find comfort in the miracle.  

On the paths of Judea  

to walk to Her on foot.

And today my heart prays:  

Bring us back to You, Jesus!  

Let the heavy burdens cease  

of our most trying days.

We live by Your Holy Word.  

Behold our souls! You are there!  

The True Star, which  

is our Call, Love, and Temple!

Stefan Glavchev  

(Copper Bowl)

FROM GOD ASK FOR AN AUTOGRAPH!

From God ask for an autograph.

In your heart let Him sign His name…

Am I wrong in this call? Am I right

for such a miracle to happen from above?

The world rushes for cheap stars,

wanting their signatures, all for glory.

With a pinch of pride to be filled,

amidst the dazzling noise and earthly clamor.

The Savior with His Holy pen

will leave His words from Himself,

when He does faithful Good,

which He can never forget.

“I was hungry! And you gave Me a piece of bread!

I was thirsty! And you offered Me water!

I was sick, and weak from my ailments,

yet you, even in my misery, saw My Name!

I was in darkness, and you visited Me!

I was a stranger, and found warmth in your home!

After so many closed doors,

yours were open for Me!”

So today, Jesus still signs His name,

and honors His Signature with a drop of Blood.

His covenant they claim to know by heart,

yet they trample it with unmasked hate.

He remains unseen by many.

A star, grounded in the mud of His Spirit.

Waiting, gazing, disdained

in barren hands, and in hearts void of Strength.

And today, as everyone gathers their anger,

where coldness has become the norm and a fetish,

from God ask for an autograph…

In your heart let Him sign His name!

Stefan Glavchev

(Copper Bowl)

GALILEE

I will pour out my silent prayer,
just as a stream gushes from a rock.
O Lord! Show me Galilee
and the angels with white wings!

And let me see You there, exalted —
hope and dream gathered in Your rays.
And without asking where You are in this moment —
let tears fill my eyes.

I do not believe You are far away in the cosmos.
Joy fills me when I call upon You.
Sighing in prayer, and speaking,
You fill my spirit with Your words.

And I follow You with faith, like a bird,
whose wings are anointed with oil,
to be Yours, the apple of God’s eye...
Beyond the stars — a kindred spirit, Galileo...

Stefan Glavchev
(I kneel before You)

DO NOT FEAR, LITTLE FLOCK!

Do not fear, little flock!

Jesus is your Shepherd!

His covenant is everlasting life!

Salvation is a gift!

Even if the earth

should tremble to this day,

high in the Light,

the Lord Himself tends you.

Do not fear, little flock!

Survive with hope!

Suffer for the Truth!

Live for Justice!

The world hates you now,

but Faith sustains you!

And the Holy One protects you

from snares and lies!

Do not be afraid, little flock!  

Behold the Glory beyond!  

And the Eternal Reward  

after your steep journey.

Heaven will open  

the shining Gate,  

and you will be up there,  

saved by Christ!

Do not fear, little flock!

Only a moment remains!

With pure joy

behold the radiant Face!

Love will carry you

to the blessed refuge

within the holy boundaries

of the wondrous Zion...

Stefan Glavchev  

(I kneel before You)

THE DIAGNOSIS OF NERO

When a nuclear threat looms  

And the frightened world starts to shake,  

Nero’s name stands as a diagnosis  

Of the most dangerous psychopath.  

Determined to crush and reshape,  

Even erasing a nation…  

What kind of demon hides away  

In his bloodshot eyes?  

What kind of pride consumes him?  

What kind of greed torments him?  

A person is born into this world  

to create what it means to be human…

Murder is the call of the beast.  

Destruction comes from dark madness.  

And when the world ignites in fire –  

Life remains to him for just an hour.  

In ancient and troubled times,  

A vile creature set Rome ablaze,  

Hoping to take away the faith  

In the Savior, beloved by souls.  

Nero was his tainted name –  

A reptile upon an imperial throne.  

And today the world is once again in smoke…  

Once more, Nero is the spark…  

His heart is never satisfied.  

His hands claw for oil.  

Even at the cost of ash and ruin  

And the most brutal tyranny.  

And there's no madness that  

could tame a wolf like that,  

ready to trample everything sacred  

and itself to frighten and oppress…

O, come, Just God!  

The smoke rises up to You!  

The unharvested fields are burning,  

And there’s no one to extinguish them… 

Countless human destinies are ablaze!  

Justice and Law are burning, too!  

Times grow heavy with the weight  

Of Nero’s diagnosis…  

From it, the powerful go mad,  

Delivered unto wicked depravity.  

May Your Sword cast them down  

Deep into the fiery abyss…  

Stefan Glavchev

(The Rise of the Fall)

QUESTIONS ABOUT CONSCIENCE

Why is conscience desperately deaf  

When the world lies in total ruin?  

It hears no sorrowful words of woe  

And finds no villains guilty before it...  

Why is conscience blind to suffering,  

When the coffin is lowered into the grave?  

It does not see a mother shedding tears  

Because a tormentor has killed her son...  

Why is conscience silent on Justice,  

Not raising its voice against sin and deceit?  

An unseen razor has cut its tongue,  

And it will not utter a sound or a cry...  

Why is conscience burnt out by spirit  

And hides the stains on its white garment?  

Does it not understand that this is doom  

Before the One who chose to disregard?  

Why is conscience a sentence that reminds  

Everyone of the Sacred Times,  

When they will see the deeds laid bare,  

The ones they committed without Judgment on this earth?  

Why, you ask? Because it makes peace with evil,  

And it lulls it to sleep, gnawing away at it!  

In this terrible time, for a harsh fate,  

It has already paid the devil's price...  

Stefan Glavchev

(The Rise of the Fall)

CARRIED BY FAITH…

Carried by Faith,
I flew all around.
My life is a song.
Dying – the Cross.
Loving – a Fire.
Fighting – a Sword.
And on my way to God,
I ventured far and wide.

My sorrow is my solace.
The Crucifixion – a call.
Suffering – a Garment
of Christ’s Example.
For this world – lost,
but welcomed in the higher one.
Loved by the Faithful.
Cursed by the impure.

I found my destiny
in celestial places
and filled my bag
with the Word from Christ.
I gave myself to everyone.
I was a spring and a seal
in the challenging years,
but filled with Grace.

Deep beneath the waves,
I await a Bright Moment.
The days may not be grand,
but the Lord is Great.
And I know the Truth,
that in Him I am saved,
when I finally see,
in Spirit, resurrected.
Amen and Amen!

Stefan Glavchev
(The Bird Within You)

THE VERDICT ON JUDAS

The world is consumed by greed.  

By taxes, debts, and rising prices.  

The banker doesn’t reclaim his conscience,  

But blames himself instead...  

He has a pact with Mammon,  

Fit for a genuine god.  

The banknote - just like an icon  

With the signature of a bloodsucker.  

And in the vault - an iron altar -  

The stacks pile up endlessly,  

While he sticks out his tongue,  

Seeing profits slick as honey.  

To ruthlessly squeeze the poor  

With usury, without a hint of shame,  

And then happiest to savor  

The spoils of his vile game.  

The world is consumed by greed.  

Mad. Revolting as a stench.  

But everything eventually returns,  

When there’s no turning back.  

Mammon doesn’t help from afar.  

He holds power here and now.  

The gallows tighten around the rich,  

In Dante’s foreboding woods.  

There, fiery brimstone engulfs him,  

And a dreadful thirst torments.  

Yet eternity, wildly heartless,  

Can’t be bought with mere cents.  

For he lived in a fatal delusion,  

Driven by dark greed,  

And with the verdict on Judas,  

Accepts his eternal decree…  

Stefan Glavchev

(The Rise of the Fall)

FOR ETERNITY – ETERNAL!

Eternity is hidden behind a veil

from human, mortal eyes.

Within it lies a prison for the villain

and for the wretched – beams of light.

It is, beyond the end, a new beginning.

For the spirit, a fateful leap.

Existence – caught between black and white.

Finality – caught between devil and God.

How one prepares for it

is each person's choice and path.

Between the Son of God and the wrongdoer

the world stands divided.

Fate has a thin line

before the Heavenly Eternal Life,

but earthly beings cannot calculate

and rely on their mortal lineage.

From Adam's clay to Stone

a heavy toll is paid -

A Holy Sacrifice with Christ's Flame

for humanity, born in Light.

To be drawn to the Rock

and stand firm for Righteousness -

only then will you be Eternal for Eternity,

having conquered inevitable death…

Stefan Glavchev

(Seeker of Pearls)

I REMAIN A STONE

I’m not filling up a congress hall

and I don’t wear a righteous suit.

I’ve kept my soul pure and small

from every Babylonian hoot.

Without deafening glory at the podium.

Without titles or some great renown.

Without businessmen with their millions,

sitting right there in the front row.

Without a shiny car and security.

Without a fat church fee in hand.

Without worldly honors or invites

to a king's palace on this land.

Without a deal for a new book.

Without signatures or autographs.

Without any tempting chains that hook

in the spirit of the wretched Esau's paths.

Without anything vile that would drown

my spirit in a pit so deep,

and would cause my heart to frown

the Radiance of Christ’s Light to keep.

I remain a stone with rough caresses.

The flesh from it still hurts inside.

And there’s no way to love what suppresses

because an abyss does divide.

For it lives “with,” when my spirit

stands firm in “without” though it’s tough…

And all that is True and Holy

is my steadfast counterbalance, that’s enough. 

Stefan Glavchev

(Fleeting Remains)

GLORY TO GOD! I WILL SOAR UP!

Old age will knock at my door too.

With white hair, aches, and sorrow.

It will wrench a cry from my soul 

and it will be a jagged edge on my bed.

It will become a temporary shadow.

A judge with a memory devoid of passion.

It will be the breath of lonely evenings.

It will be my wrinkled self.

Inevitably, it will reign within me

without a crown and a glorious throne.

In my joy, it will mourn defiantly

and in my peace, it will bring strife.

I will resist it with all my might.

I will tell myself I’m still young.

And I will even wish to long for

the rays of a pure meteor shower.

It will be my companion for a while.

Until the final Holy gate.

Goodbye, with it my spirit will take flight,

like the wind with the yellow leaves.

And when I pass beyond,

it will stay here. Without me.

Like some gray imprint

of a life surrendered to decay.

Like a stump, drying from the roots

to remain forever dry…

GLORY TO GOD! I WILL SOAR UP!

For man in heaven is spirit!

Stefan Glavchev  

(Fleeting Remains)

LIFT YOUR FAITH AS A SHIELD!

When this world scoffs at you  

And hates you with its unmasked wrath,  

For entering God's Glory,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

The oppressor tortures and kills,  

But you are cleansed by Christ's Blood.  

Even if everything around you perishes,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

One digs in the pot and starves,  

While another is happy with excess...  

But heed what the Spirit dictates!  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

The road is doomed for the worms,  

And every parasite is condemned with them.  

But since you are called to Eternal Life,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

If you are a target of a wicked aim  

And it lurks – secretive, dreadful...  

To see your soul comforted,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

Today the world is in its final clash –  

Saints against the devilish elite.  

Rich in Jesus, but poor in everything else,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

The end of great suffering will come,  

And every wormwood will be tested...  

For happiness – may you be two with the Lord,  

Lift your Faith, brother, as a Shield!  

Amen and Amen!

Stefan Glavchev  

(The Bird Within You)

THE SERVANT WITH A HEAVENLY BURDEN

Before the rebellious world falls silent  

and the Righteous One stirs it with His Sword,  

the burden will bring His servant  

to the pearly gates of God.

Left at the churchyard refuse,  

he stretched out his hands with kindness,  

ready to fill his heart with disdain  

and mix his bread with sorrow.

The proud kicked him with scorn.  

Well-fed kings spat upon him.  

And every human self-righteousness  

refused to let his spirit see.

For the polished conscience of many,  

he became the inconvenient thorn.  

And so his life passed by,  

just as the Lord had decreed.

But a moment comes with judgments and rewards,  

with deeds weighed on righteous scales.  

The burden will bring forth His servant,  

and the Heavenly King will appraise him.

Only then… Yes, only then  

from Justice would he receive a reply,  

whether he sought God's Glory  

or was cursed before the Judge.

The world is in twilight. Soon it will be dark,  

and the beast will leap out to devour.  

Yet God's servant still carries  

his burden to the Holy Gates.

May in that Moment, as brief as a second,  

he find his ending beyond,  

in the Spirit marked with this imprint,  

that the Faithful is not judged by the Court...

And after that, with a sigh he will step  

into a City free of pain, sorrow, and night,  

where in anguish the wretched do not weep  

and no breath of evil lingers...  

Stefan Glavchev  

(Fleeting Remains)

A DAVID IS NEEDED!

The shepherds are deceitful, who

bring a ravenous wolf into the fold.

They hand him sheep – treacherously, hidden,

forgetting their sacred duty.

And the flock, alas, with a short memory,

does not recall the evils in their dire state,

that not one but many a predator has torn them apart

and crushed them with suffering and grief.

In such a ruined sheepfold,

life darkens and turns bitter.

And the conquering faith fades away

of the lamb in cowardly eyes.

A David is needed – to lead him

and guard him from the cruel beasts.

And the flock, through all adversities,

to free itself from evil with a fiery spirit.

To share his life with the sheep,

and chase the predator far away.

Ready to be the sharp sword

by his warm woolen bedding.

Where, today, is such a Holy Love

of a Shepherd, inspired from Heaven?

Is there one on earth already

in this time of the red sunset?

Have the wolves in sheep’s clothing not started

to deceive the gullible flocks?

And who then, with sincerity, will be able

to call their fear freedom?

You, O Lord, with most sacred Zeal,

pasture the sheep Yourself in Your Spirit,

and punish with fiery Gehenna

the hired hand who corrupts the Word!

For if the sheepfold has no fence

and no man of God to watch over the flock,

the wolf, with insatiable rage, will attack

and leave bloody trails...

Stefan Glavchev

(The Rise of the Fall)