From the book THE MEDUSA GLANCE
Diptych
A clear cut case, the leader
of the free world said
either with us or against us
underlining the war might
stored in dark warehouses housing
his selected war toys
his opponent, on the far away land, blinked
his eyes before the economic
slavery of multinationals and
devastatedly falling bombs
to smartly flatten desert land
a clear cut case, the leader
of the free world said
either with us or against us
POEM BY MANOLIS ANAGNOSTAKIS
YOUNG MEN FROM SIDON
We shouldn’t complain, really
your company was pleasant and full of vigor:
freshened girls, wholesome boys
full of love for life and for adventures
and your songs were sweet and meaningful
very sentimental, humane
for the children who died over the other continent
for the heroes killed in past years
for revolutionaries with black, green, reddish skin
for the grief of every suffering man
this involvement especially an honour for you
for today’s problems and struggle
you always appear and you fight, therefore
I believe it’s your right to play
in groups of two or three at a time
and to fall in love
to just relax, brothers, after such tiredness
(George, have you noticed we’ve aged prematurely?)
Manolis 