6^th Century BC Angiography

Nothing, not his Godly power nor his famous exploits, brought

him much glory as his human weakness (and he discovered it

himself and especially he admitted to it), when, crying like

 a baby, with Nessus’ chiton eating his flesh, he climbed up

to the top of Oeta, on the pyre, as if he was ascending the

highest stairs.

                  From there he was received by the four-horse chariot,

bringing him to the thrones of the Gods, while the Nymphs were

putting down the fire, and the frightened and amazed Poeas ran

down the slope stumbling on the roots and the rocks.

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CANDLES

The days of the future stand in front of us

like a line of lit candles—

golden, warm, and lively little candles.

The days of the past remain behind,

a sorrowful line of burned out candles;

the closest ones are still smoking,

cold candles, melted, and drooping.

I don’t want to look at them; their shape saddens me,

and it saddens me to remember their previous light.

I look ahead at my lit candles.

I don’t want to look back and see in horror

how fast the dark line lengthens,

how quickly the burned out candles multiply.

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Picture Fontaine de Vaucluse, France, by Germain Droogenbroodt

What Else Searches The Word For . . .

What else,

searches the word for
in the sediment of the verse

if not for the impalpable
—which exists

just as the water of the river
escapes the hand
but learns its limits in the jar,
conserves its form
and refreshes

as sometimes does
a poem.

ΤΙ ΑΛΛΟ

Τί άλλο άραγε ψάχνουν να βρούν

οι λέξεις

στου στίχου το συναίσθημα

                                 παρά το ασήμαντο

                                      που υπάρχει

                             σαν το νερό του ποταμού

                     που γλυστρά μέσα  απ’τα δάχτυλα

                           και στο ποτήρι εγκλωβίζεται

                            και διατηρεί το φόρμα του

                             που πάντα ενεργοποιεί

                                   όπως το ποίημα

Μετάφραση Μανώλη Αλυγιζάκη//translated by Manolis Aligizakis