“El Greco”
Cherubs
Your eyes get immersed in the aura
of a Cretan and your masterpieces
not semblances of men or
of women but reflections
of angels in a mirror.
Just idols of cherubs
archangels and seraphs with
wings which open and close
like a mysterious fan
in front of the splendor
of a sublime likeness and
a stalactite of your love
descends to moisten all
dryness, to quench all thirst.
Your love, oh great Cretan, for
man, for life, for God.
Here the line between
the spirit and flesh becomes
so indistinguishable
so tragically vague
here the aura of man
and the shadow of god
fuse into a ripple of gray air
into the sadness of a beacon
tears freely cascade and
overwhelm the afternoon heat
love songs unheard off before
tears that become absolution
of a thunderous encounter
between a Giant and a man
who has dared Death many a time
a man who seeks to reach higher.
Manolis Aligizakis 