(Excerpt)
From the forests of Bulgaria
through the oak trees of Thrace
the cedar forests of Taurus and
from the silvery olive tree groves
of Attica and from the yellow
flowered citrus trees, of all
the people’s best froth and
from life’s leftover cinders
knives of murderers and
snakes of the connivers from
all the gambling halls and
the hard labour, prairies and
tents, insults of the country and
cave-dwelling wild beasts
form all the brave men on the gallows
they all came and stood before me:
the imposing and the unrestrained
and the tough drunk revellers
with warring joy and ardour and
they all cried out and ordered:
make the voice of
your zurna, oh glorious crier
worthy of our celebrations.
Oh long nights and festivities
not the heat of day nor the snow
the daylight or the night
will ever make you stop.
https://www.lulu.com/account/projects/gjgv4ee https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3LP7NW6
Long Listed for the 2023 Griffin Poetry Awards
Poem
I remember when I got out of prison my shaved head,
was round and empty like the globe. No, “I’m not hungry”
I’d say to friends who would invite me for dinner, while
at the same time, I’d grab a handful of goodies from
the confession tray left by the sewing machine, which,
of course, later, I ate in the bathroom. Thus I lived my life;
with the dead, humiliation, poems, dates of old disasters
and visions of future revolutions. Indeed often, in order
to take revenge on those who stupidly believed in me, I
committed small sins and perversions. I never returned
borrowed money, I cried in front of others, I endlessly
talked in various political gatherings, since, I forgot to
mention that I was dedicated to another great mission,
so great, God, that had room even for the idiots.
However, I can’t but mention that people helped me a lot:
women graced me with their infidelity, crazy people with
their advice, and comrades with impossible dreams although
most of these were worn out by the passing of time. But
my greediness covered everything like a gigantic wave
and I had to re-discover them as if they were cut off from
the bosom of the Lord. And my most triumphant days
steadied their exquisite, strong elbow onto the water
of futility. Finally, to make the long story short, after
I experienced the whole ordeal of hope, I reached
the most abominable conclusion: to believe in man.
Therefore, why is unsuitable for a revolutionary
to commit suicide?
https://www.lulu.com/account/projects/ke4yv6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763564
Manolis Aligizakis 