Today, when our nation has once again been forced to take up arms, we long for the moment when weapons will exist only in optimistic poetry. This inspiring T-shirt carries a line from such a verse: “I am a rifle, loaded with joy, firing in honor of life.”
These words belong to Bohdan-Ihor Antonych, born in 1909 in the Lemkivshchyna region, among mountains where life was hard, yet songs always echoed. His generation faced wars, crises, and uncertainty. And yet, instead of despair, he chose love for life, writing about joy and beauty even in the darkest times.
White words on a black background — a challenge to the darkness. This men’s T-shirt features a quote by Antonych, created as a reminder: no matter the hardships, we must remain in love with life. That’s what makes us truly undefeatable.
Please read the full poem and feel the strength we drew upon when creating this piece
Of all the people, I am the most alive,
I’m building a bridge of viburnum, bright and white.
My glasshouse stands — no fairy tale contrive,
just truth, absurd in all its might,
a careless philosophy in light.
I will not pay my tribute to despair,
I love the risk, the chaos, and the fight.
I am a rifle, loaded with joy to spare,
I fire my shot in honor of life’s right.
I drink it deep, with neither doubt nor dread,
for all that’s human is no stranger to me.
And if today I have no coin for bread —
So be it. I am free.
Bohdan-Ihor Antonych
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