Guard
Ethereal spruce stands guarding
our home secrets without
her armour having lonely
eyes, an assuming smile
between arthritic limbs
as if to remind me of duties
that one performs without
being asked, without being
paid, yet nature has a
way of sharing her wisdom
to the open-minded leaving
the blind to stay blind until
his or her depth also comes to conceive of
greatness its meaning by one’s
own eyes and heart
NINTH DAY
We were making plans for
our death tonight
and it was as if guessing
the songs along with the fishermen
distancing themselves from the shore.
The glance of the sun might be bold
or would the roots of ancient trees
enclose ever tightly
or would we sink in endless waters
with the weight of the days?
metal clatter and chirps
of wounded birds high up in the air
sea made of wheat
or would we die
of the many sunflowers?
Pleasant News
In your mind
all night long, sleepless,
you promised not to cry
to go and arrange flowers
in a plastic vase
fill it with water
from the cemetery fountain
you promised not to cry
perishable hopeless hope
like that first time
in the school yard,
grade one,
he squeezed your fingers
emotional defeat for
the strong grip of the boy
you fell in love and married.
How often do you visit
the grave of your beloved
bringing tales of laughter and
never a single sad story?
Manolis Aligizakis 