WHY IS IT HOT IN HELL?

(In response to the grim statistics

from the two terrible wars in this world)

Warlike cries are unleashed

amid destruction, grief, and despair.

What warmth awaits them on the other side,

once their earthly time is done?

Human blood is spilling.

The weight of guilt grows overwhelming.

With wild fury, the killers

accumulate their own wickedness.

They are filled with blind hatred,

and their fingers hover over the trigger.

The icy world watches them,

coldly counting the dead.

When a victim dies, forgiveness

can no longer be granted from beyond.

And with this fact, so doomed,

the souls are snatched by hell.

For once blood is stained,

it won’t ever wash away,

and it’s only the devil with his horns

that the sinful eyes will see.

With a knife drawn, a brutal attacker,

not just one, meets his end,

and only in the fire does he understand

that he is a descendant of Cain.

For from the earth, the blood shed

screams against him,

while he is caught in the soul

by the jaws of a dark lion.

And down below there’s only an echo

of screams in the gloomy rocks.

No peace, no mercy, no solace

for the souls, once beasts…

Why is it hot in hell, I wonder,  

and why are there no tears for killers?  

You can’t take away something  

that you’ve never given in the first place…

Stefan Glavchev

(The Rise of the Fall)

DISTANT TARGET

If a man loses one thing,  

he becomes rich in another.  

He may fall in love with Heaven,  

or with this deceptive world.  

And with this inevitable choice,  

the heart will pay the price  

to pursue its longings  

toward darkness or to light.  

Universal Truth will bear down  

on each of its Holy Swords.  

The earth will swallow earthly beings.  

The spirit will soar away.  

In two kinds, clearly divided,  

fate will reveal itself.  

And on the fateful arenas,  

it will bleed from fierce battles.  

In an unrelenting drama,  

the world will dig a trench,  

while the victims, with the fiercest flames,  

will vanish in their love.  

With a distant target—until  

the flesh breathes its last,  

and the spirit steps into the Holy  

Heaven, which opens its doors…  

Stefan Glavchev  

(Fleeting Remains)

THE MEANING OF THE LYRE

The divine meaning trembles,  
Enveloping the heart of the poet.  
He would not write in vain  
Even a single random line.  

Words are a sacred work  
When the Spirit stirs within them,  
And in an instant, Light descends  
To shine with rays in our hearts.  

The verse emerges like a song,  
Sung in breath, suddenly,  
And leaning over his notebook,  
The poet flows forth like rain.  

He pours out dreams, heals wounds.  
He takes away pain and sorrow.  
Skillfully, with chosen words,  
He gives of himself in his offering.  

To penetrate deep into souls  
With comfort, with pearl-like waters.  
To well up in the eyes from tears  
And to carve long in memory.  

Such is the entire fate  
Of a spirit bound by words—  
In a scorched desert  
To give birth to blades of grass,  

To be a stream, to rise up,  
Captivating every thirst.  
This is the meaning of the lyre,  
Born to ring out the divine...  

Stefan Glavchev  
(Seeker of Pearls)

READ THE WORD! READ IT!

Read the Word! Read it!

The Creator has given you eyes!

A blossoming flower

blooms in the rays of the sun.

In the embrace of the Light

live each day and hour,

for the Lord has paid the price

to be alive in all of us.

Read the Word! Read it!

Fill every line with faith.

For with Innocent Blood in the verses,

the Holy Covenant is born.

And whoever, walking in Christ’s footsteps,

lifts their cross, will proceed,

having broken the chains of the flesh,

they will capture the Heavenly Spirit.

Read the Word! Read it!

It will grant you victory!

Your enemies will not frighten you,

as long as the Fire burns within you.

And somewhere beyond the Cross,

a bridge to God’s Kingdom,

you will measure your height

by the resurrected Christ.

Stefan Glavchev  

(The Bird Within You)

WHAT IS WORTHWHILE IN THIS WORLD?

What is worthwhile in this world –  

think, ponder, and understand.  

Lies thrive in debauchery,  

fear gnaws at the godless.

Death, with its dark shepherd's crook,  

herds the foolish sheep,  

and each one forges its own coffin  

with its senseless heart.

The earth shakes in upheaval.  

Above, fire scorches it.  

And brothers – guns against guns –  

are dragged towards destruction in hatred.

The corrupt ruler trades  

and weighs souls on a scale…  

What is worthwhile in this world?  

Decide, my friend! Decide!

Don’t let Evil break you!  

Don’t bow your head to sin!  

Christ redeemed you with His Blood  

and freed you from death!

For Him, sorrow is worth it,  

grief with countless sighs.  

For He is the Sun in the rainbow  

and He is the only Meaning.

And even a caged bird in exhaustion  

Will bloom with faith in cream.  

May you too experience  

Such a life devoted to God…

Stefan Glavchev  

(A Copper Bowl)

KNIGHT FROM YOUR RETINUE

You will come, Jesus, on a horse

white and strong, with mighty hooves.

Above the sky, stilled by Your call,

the world will experience Your Holiness.

Behind You, on white steeds,  

the Faithful Saints will follow.  

But Your enemy, bowing low,  

will sink into the depths of despair.  

Grant me Your Faith and Sword!  

To be a knight from Your retinue!  

And my spirit, boundless and far,  

will soar up high alongside You.  

Right to Your Throne—up in Zion!  

Right to the gates, pearl-white!  

I will come, Jesus, on a horse  

with a gentle mane from Sacred commands!  

Stefan Glavchev  

(I kneel before You)

BALTHAZAR

Balthazar feasts with the nobles,  

raising a toast with a cup in his hand.  

The die, rolled by deceit,  

has placed a crown upon his head.

In his kingdom, first and irreplaceable,  

proud of his heavy fame,  

but in God’s nostrils, there’s smoke,  

as a mighty wind scatters it.

The king is feasting. The wine flows.  

His eyes are heavy with drink.  

A ray shines on the palace walls  

and fingers appear, vaguely.

They inscribe words on the stone wall  

and make Balthazar soberer.  

"What is this frightful writing?  

Where is the interpreter? Where is he?"

Soon the man of God arrives  

to interpret the wisdom penned.  

"Weighed on the scales, you are light,  

and your glory is worth a handful of dust!

Your kingdom is divided today  

and your days are already numbered,  

for with God's gold you feast,  

fooling yourself and your hyenas.

Your power is finished. It ends here.  

Persians and Medes will plunder it.  

And you, humble yourself, for when the Heavenly hammer  

punishes you with prophetic words…"

In the dark night, Balthazar breathes his last,  

pierced by a spear from ambush.  

The die, rolled by deceit,  

snatches his soul away to hell in an instant.

So in the future, on this earth,  

may all remember what earthly glory is…  

The crown is worn, but at a cost,  

etched deep in the black darkness.

Stefan Glavchev  

(The Rise of the Fall)

FAITH, IN UNYIELDING SPIRIT

This world is drenched, like a pendulum,
Swinging tipsily to and fro.
Long ago, black became white in it,
And the crooked was designated a temple.

From its extreme poles, the evils
Recharge from deceived souls.
Justice counts her bruises,
As evil seeks to crush her with a hammer.

The awakened faith is being banished.
Covenantal words are crossed out.
In the spotlights - abasement and depravity
With spectators - parched grass.

Joy abounds in godless halls
And noise rises from all-consuming shame.
The earth shakes in lawlessness
And roars with tremors, here and there.

In the deceptive pit of progress,
A devastation of virtual worlds,
While somewhere behind the dark veil,
A snake keeps slithering.

The world has been given to her since time immemorial,
And with a double-edged tongue, she twists it.
To swallow souls with a merciless whirlwind,
And to distort Meaning into a lie.

I live with faith, in an unyielding spirit,
And my heart whispers a final call.
On the path, narrowed to a slender ray,
May the Heavenly Moment catch me.

And may this world, dangerous and depraved,
Vanish like a mad nightmare,
While somewhere in the Eternal, awakened,
I glimpse Life - in Joy and Gift.

Stefan Glavchev  
(Fleeting Remains)

DISSOLVED BOOK

The deaf see me, but do not hear.

The blind hear me, but do not see.

The fleshly resent with spite.

The weak offend in helplessness.

Between the anvil and the hammer,

I bear the heavy blows.

I do not blame the fallen with scorn.

I do not extinguish the little light.

I wear no mask on my face

and seek no share of another's glory.

If I have none, I will ask God.

If I have more, no excess remains.

I do not hold onto human debts

nor look for splinters in others' eyes.

I pay for the mistakes I've made

and swallow my bitter without complaint.

I have unraveled the secrets of life

on how to be full or to be hungry.

I warmed the freezing with my fire.

I shared my gifts with those in need.

I do not mourn, thrown out like trash,

and I do not tremble, even at a target.

I have both Faith and a Hearth!

I have my Sun and my Universe!

Am I a traveler? The Path will end.

Am I a wretch? It will be for a time.

Let what’s written come to pass!

Let the sought accept me!

Fate is wondrous. Like a song.

Its notes are penned by Someone Else.

I didn’t live a life just to be easy,

but to let my Cross be from above.

And that is enough for me in this world.

Up there is the interest earned.

And within me, the Dissolved Book

is read by God, and He smiles… 

Stefan Glavchev  

(Seeker of Pearls)

TO THE CELESTIAL TRAVELER!

Do not rely on your peace,

held by a thread of vanity’s weave.

Good people wear belts

spattered with Heavenly Blood.

And these belts are Truth,

born not of this world,

with which purified faith

fills with Peace and Grace.

Gather your treasures

high, in the shimmering beyond,

far from the lie that poisons

humans with lustful flesh.

The struggles of a spirit,

bound in dust and decay, will not frighten you,

for the Lord is a fortress for the living,

in whom He was born with Fire.

He is your Meaning, Target, and Destiny

in all worldly troubles.

Having reached the Crucifixion with Him —

dwell on the Cross, and be!

For someday, having touched Glory,

in a City of marble and ruby,

Christ will shine forth from the embers

of your heart… Amen!

Stefan Glavchev

(The Bird Within You)

HIDDEN TRUTH

In this world, I haven’t lived in wealth,  

And I don’t regret it in the least.  

I’m satisfied, Lord, when they remember  

You through the words I’ve released.  

One builds a beautiful house,  

While another’s hoarding their gain.  

What’s born from dust returns to dust,  

Completing its destined chain.  

But I don’t want to leave here empty-handed,  

With a barren womb and no fruit to show,  

I seek a Faith from Heaven to be granted  

To me, a timeless home to sow.  

For what’s earthly remains down below,  

No one will carry it up to the skies.  

Both greed and glory are in vain,  

With neither does the soul arise.  

It’s through righteous deeds that God adorns,  

Bestowing on man spirit and breath.  

And better to love Him in the depths of despair  

Than to amass wealth that leads to death.  

Yet this Truth remains hidden from the world,  

A trap for the faithless souls it ensnares.  

What good is it to feast in this life,  

If it robs me of my God and His cares?  

I need neither silver nor gold,  

For they're covered by the green grass bed.  

In this world, I haven’t lived in wealth,  

And I don’t regret it, nothing to dread.  

Stefan Glavchev  

(A Copper Bowl)

A TRENCH IN THE DECEIVED FLESH

Do not seek human glory.  

For greatness it squanders in vain.  

Great is He who commands,  

whether in life or after death.

The ascent of the earth is futile,  

even if sprinkled with power or wealth.  

For a fleeting moment, it becomes a target for hearts;  

yet the godless will ultimately burn.

In an uneven duel with the mortal shell,  

it will furrow the brow, cheeks, and hands.  

And pride, like a fizzy drink,  

will leave a bitter taste in the heart.

In time, the river will drag him  

toward the ever-final door,  

where brilliance means nothing  

after the years have flown away.

The spirit departs from the fleshly shell,  

and who knows where it will soar…  

After glory, only a void remains,  

and in it, no one will forgive.

There, the name ceases to be golden,  

and no creature will value it anymore.  

Greatness will never return  

from the past days.

And then, the Truly Great One  

will write his final word from beyond…  

Do not seek human glory,  

for it is a trench in the deceived flesh.

Stefan Glavchev  

(The Rise of the Fall)

DO YOU CREATE DUST...

If you try to hold onto a speck of dust, it will slip away.

If you try to hold onto sand, it will scatter everywhere.

Do not waste the time you have been given,

for it is a loan, borrowed from the Creator.

But every loan will eventually be repaid,  

and the interest accumulates and weighs heavy.  

And in a mortal body – a home for your spirit,  

how will it balance the time it has spent?

What will it see when it returns to God,  

far above – to the kingdom free from decay?  

Will it be able to embrace the Creator,  

having gathered treasures for His Eternal Day?

Treasures prepared for Glory,  

that no wicked thief could ever take…  

What in this world is worth the effort,  

pushed to the very limit?

It is pointless to gather dust  

and fill it with feelings and dreams.  

For what is mortal will eventually die,  

while the eternal soars towards the Everlasting.

And it is sad when among the wealthy,  

you carry a beggar's bag…  

Didn’t God send you to this world,  

bestowing you with spirit and a choice of destiny?

Has He never greeted you with rays?  

Has He never blessed you with Love?  

Even if a traveler wanders through a hundred lives,  

they are empty if a flame does not ignite them.

If you create dust – you forge a chain.  

And the sand keeps you bound in a desert.  

And time for God? It's never enough,  

because it is burdened with lies.

And this is the tragic judgment  

upon the mortal descendants of Adam.  

Born of dust – drawn to dust,  

for their hearts are there as well…

Stefan Glavchev  

(Fleeting Remains)

SUNKEN LIKE A STONE

 (a poetic memory of the film,

which shook my heart

with the Spirit of the message below)

When the proud Titanic

collides with a mountain of ice,

and amidst hatred and prohibitions

the world is engulfed in rage,

keep a white rose in your heart

and cherish it alive within,

even if you tremble with fear

from the coldest waves.

You might be in a third-class

cabin with rats and stench,

and without lovely company

with a glass of rum and chocolate,

but still Love will flow,

and you'll be like Jack,

ready to call out to Rose,

dressed in a makeshift tailcoat.

The world will break in two

under the weight of heavy iron.

The rich won't even bother

to wipe a tear from their eye.

Even a life jacket

won't save his soul,

if he seeks a relationship by convenience

to adorn himself with a jewel.

But you, fight for your white rose

until your last breath,

for if she has survived –

you've found heaven and a summit.

And even, mortal among the waves,

sunk in icy waters,

heights will pull you up

to the highest stars.

When the proud Titanic

collides with a mountain of ice –

let one Love remain with you,

for it holds the price of a Covenant.

And her divine flame

inscribes upon the gates of Paradise:

Sunk like a stone,

rising to shine! 

Stefan Glavchev

(Seeker of Pearls)

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)