The Sleigh-Drawing Horses

Deer Park at the Whirl Hill
Our young self
is given back now
by the fallow-deers at Whirl Hill,
though they are not
the red-deer princes
of the Hungarian forests,
their crown is not arboreous,
they are just mild, spotted-backed
members of the huge deer-family.
But even so,
in all of their flutters
the Psalm of Psalms
is buzzing, the number 42,
and our „ancient”,
now 45 years old thirst.
Though we are not
a pair of young dears any more,
we are humming together
the very song of our
thirsty beginnings.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/192676384X

Yannis Ritsos – Poems, Volume VI

Not Another
No more, not that disputed shape, a big
body undivided on the metal bed with
its other side turned to the wall. I, he said,
on a persistent exercise of silence, on a
persistent exercise of the one-digit numbers
and the counting, as calm as possible, yet
hearable, three, six, nine, with the simple
shape of the lips like when you give the most
distanced kiss to the hand of the dead man.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763785

Nikos Engonopoulos – Poems

when it finds me
naked
walking around
it dresses me,
the rain,
with unbelievably shining
outfits
as I walk,
and places around me
mythical riches
sets
and decorations”
he now saunters to the “end”
among the crowds, music and popular joy
and mixes
becomes one with
the crowd
and feels
sometimes
like a king among his subjects
and other times
perhaps the same moment
like
an exiled ruler
among
strangers
and unfamiliar
people

https://draft2digital.com/book/3744799#print

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763734

Introspection

Prophet
His prophetic pneuma, his sense of eternal freedom, the endlessly creative mind of the giant who stood before a catastrophe and saw decaying humanity. He sensed that a future benevolence appeared before his eyes, before his prophetic vision, while he had his eyes closed. He saw the new race of men and women who stood opposite the morality of humbleness and against the well-fed bellies of priests and deacons, and he saw the creators of immortal boys and girls. This was his epiphany and his fate: life played like a drama, like a historical stage show of the pneuma with its delirium and tragedy, with a catharsis from the first moment, he realized that it was his freedom to think and to create his immortal Übermensch

https://draft2digital.com/book/4118210#print

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763777

Hours of the Stars

Altar
Our blood fiery red.
When the newborns climb up the golden hills and
autumn bestows its gifts
unto the naked rain knees
cactuses listen to
the unsuspecting footsteps of Abel.
Dawn readies its slaughter and
the evening sacrifice
sprinkles the door-posts of the west.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763408

Tasos Livaditis – Selected Poems

Suspicious Encounters
Perhaps he was an imaginary person, and for this reason, more
dangerous; I usually met him in the hallway or behind the hospital.
The first time he pretended he didn’t know me, John,” I said to him,
“Weren’t we hanged together?”— since then, I am of a different
than my true age
like what will shutter us is a detail that has gone unnoticed
and time will come when we’ll remember it.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3751267

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763831

Medusa

Presidential Campaign
Well-covered presidential campaign
She said with a dry voice
Blonde media anchor
stirred uncomfortably
Latest debate results
about the winner and who’s
condemned to Purgatory
comedy of Erring parrots
repeating numbers
rigged convention
she said apologetically
baptizing the viewers in the cold
water of reality
newscast misinformed
the viewers of their collective
fortune to be citizens of the most
well-informed nation on earth

https://draft2digital.com/book/3745982#print

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763769

HEAR ME OUT

One More Chance
Your hand was on the car and you tried to stop me from leaving.
“Give us another chance” you kept on saying and I tasked you to let go of the car as I was ready to step on the gas.
I simply told you, I intended to give that chance only to myself.
And I drove away.
I didn’t regret it. I recalled of course all the events but I never regretted it.
I also asked for your forgiveness for a few things I believed I was wrong.
But I never regretted it.
I had to leave.
The next person in my life made me understand that I was unfair toward you regarding a few things.
One has to live something worse to finally understand.
Yet, I never regretted leaving. I left when I had to leave.
When something is wrong you need to find the strength and courage to leave.
And now, although it hurts, I’m gone.
I know I’ve done right.
No reason to stay in something you know isn’t what you want.
And compromise isn’t my thing.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562946

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763807

Twelve Narratives of the Gypsy

Then the old man vanished
I don’t know where and when
he died or he ascended to
the heavens
and his companion eagle
also flew away from his side
and the violin, the most precious
treasure was left to me.
Play oh bow, play and
create a new world from
my hands in my two hands.
Oh a new race, oh you, new race
not the logos nor the song
not a sound from any mouth.
Only you exist, oh my violin
and there is only one tongue
and just one sound, yours,
which I, the player, create
and what creates the miracle
is none other but your music.
And if I’m a tree made
of chords and music
and nothing more, one sound
and one breath and one song
exist inside of me.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3LP7NW6

Neo-Hellene Poets, an Anthology of Modern Greek Poetry

MORNING STAR
Oh lustful morning star
how you surrender to the day
in the inundation of light
before you blend and freshly
spread the footprints of the night.
And more than the moon you calm
the darkness while you shine in secret
like hope that with a mere caress
defeats the blackest thoughts.
Oh how alike to dreams you are,
double-edged and slowly fading, flickering, alas,
betrayed by night and even
by the day’s bright, ruthless light.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562959

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763513