Hastily
Come on, let’s finish it, he said, continuance is boring.
Movements, words, repetitions, and ballooned flags
by the fans. You’ll see it at the end of the festivity.
Further on, the dusty tail of the night is among the thorns
and he stands by the door and scratches his ear with
a match.
Dione
men long for beauty
women constantly offer it
we know this
we
the descendants of the Marathon fighters
so, there is no reason
for a woman’s year
and other such foolish acts
and masquerading
of the feminists
from the Glory to the Virgin Fighter
to the Cretan mantinades
to the Alphabet of Love
from the legendary phallic dances of the ancients
to the
these black eyes
that look at me
please lower them, my light…
they convince everyone
about the truth of the above
with words and deeds
we all compose bright bouquets
and endlessly
offer them
to women
Excerpt
“Come sit down, Tyne.” Millie spoke from her recliner
chair in the living room. “You’ve been running around
all day after everyone, not the least me. I’m afraid I’m making a lot of
work by coming here.”
Tyne paused beside her aunt’s chair and placed a bottle of pain
relievers on a small table close to the older woman’s hand. “Nonsense,
Auntie, you are not making a lot of work for me. And whatever extra
I need to do for you is a joy.” She smiled as she picked up the half
empty water glass from the table. “Anyway, you’re a much better
patient than many I’ve had over the years.”
Millie snorted. “Like Arthur Tournquist for example?”
Tyne chuckled, remembering the irascible patient she had met
during her third year in training at the Holy Cross. “Yes, especially
Arthur, bless his big heart. But not all of my difficult patients became
dear friends like Arthur.”
She started to turn away with the water glass, but Millie put a
hand on her arm. “The water is fine, dear girl, just leave it. It won’t
hurt me to drink tepid water with my pills.
“Now, come sit and talk a while – or would you like to go somewhere
quiet to read?”
Tyne put the glass on the table and sat in the loveseat across from
Millie. “Did you say somewhere quiet? In this house? Actually, this is
the quietest room in the house because I gave strict orders it’s out of
bounds while you’re sitting up.”
IV
Uniformity appears as the troglodyte receives
darkness soluble shivering
like a leaf blown by the wind
to every corner of the cave and
blackening his mind; two cows
drinking water, raise their eyes
to stare at the sharp blade of the butcher
and the insatiable teeth of hunger, while
the first earthly ownership, dangling
residential, first subdivision
of the troglodytes appears
as he puts aside leftover meat.
Fireflies slide in mid-air
embalming the unction of disease
a hard day’s hunt justified,
first harkening bank,
virgin new concept and
tomorrow’s multinational
a swath commences, and the fourth hymn
as lightning divides the sky
plowing a bright course when
here springs forth the menace of death
Manolis Aligizakis 