Qalina (pronunced “kaleena”) is Ukrainian for viburnum, a plant similar to cranberry.
Its bitter berries were used for centuries in folk medicine and as a decorative plant, loved for its resilience and beauty. It is spread through Northern Hemisphere all the way to Africa.
Similarly, Qalina has travelled extensively and the influences on her poetry and music vary from her Slavic roots to Celtic motifs, from jazz to classical and from Shakespeare to Leonard Cohen. “Enjoy it, if you can bear bitterness in beauty.”
Her poems Handfuls of Sunshine, I Have Sailed This Body are published in New Dialogues and New Beginnings – Poetry Anthology 2013.
Qalina’s website
