POEM BY KOSTAS KRYSTALLIS
GATHERING OF THE GRAPES
excerpt
The grapevine blooms and spreads its vines
over the bulrushes and cypress branches
in riverbeds and in crevasses full of rocks
it spreads its fragrance with every stirring
of the air, as on the hillsides, mountains and the plains
great swarms of bees rouse from their hives
to drink the vine’s ethereal smells
and forage on its pistils full of nectar
and spread the news in buzzing eulogies.
Girls of the village start their day, following
nature’s wisdom to their orchards and their groves,
on mountains and plains, with baskets, joyful
and with songs. The gathering and harvesting begin,
and the countryside awakens to their sweat
and girlish scents and every grapevine row
as if arising from the earth brings forth new chthonian fairies…
Manolis Aligizakis 