Visitor

Old Chevy squealed frustration

over the rough asphalt

just outside the little town he reached

at dusk.

They noticed his laughter

in the beer parlour

and at the convenience store

where he bought a pack of smokes.

Molly felt overwhelmed

when she looked deep in his eyes

and by chance touched his hand.

None ever called his name.

Who was the unknown soldier

who fought by our side

in the battle for the spring song?

Futility recommenced human history.

Unaccomplished travesty

when the next day on his way out of town

a door slammed behind him

and when they found him fallen

in the middle of the street

they knew he talked to our glorious ancestors

just one stratum below the reality of his dream.

The following Sunday

Molly went to church

dressed in her red dress

and on her golden hair,

the white scarf.

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ΙΩΝΙΚΟΝ

Γιατί τα σπάσαμε τ’ αγάλματα των

γιατί τους διώξαμε απ’ τους ναούς των

διόλου δεν πέθαναν γι’ αυτό οι θεοί.

Ω, γη της Ιωνίας, σένα αγαπούν ακόμη

σένα η ψυχές των ενθυμούνται ακόμη.

Σαν ξημερώνει επάνω σου πρωϊ αυγουστιάτικο

την ατμόσφαιρα σου περνά σφρίγος απ’ την ζωή των

και κάποτ’ αιθέρια εφηβική μορφή

αόριστη, με διάβα γρήγορο,

επάνω από τους λόφους σου περνά.

IONIAN

Although we broke their statues,

and drove them out of their temples,

the gods did not die out at all because of that.

Oh land of Ionia, it is you they still love,

it is you their souls still remember.

When dawn comes on you of an August morning

the vigor of their lives goes through your atmosphere;

and at tines the ethereal figure of a youth,

obscure, with quick steps

passes over your hills.

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Routine

Often you said we needed

to change our habits

a new beginning to commence

a new purpose to seek

help to discover hope

and its elements

while all along

you remained resting

in lush recliner

and always you upheld

your beliefs while

tightly in hand

you held

the recliner’s lever

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Χειμωνιάζει

Μέ κάθε χτύπο τού ρολογιού πέφτει ένα κίτρινο φύλλο.

Είχες ένα ψάθινο καπέλο μέ λιλά λουλούδια.

Τώρα κεί μέσα γεννάνε οι κόττες

κ’ ένα σαλιγκάρι ανηφορίζει στό πόδι τής καρέκλας.

Τό χιόνι θάναι κρύο, κρύο, κρύο

σάν τό ψηλό κολλάρο τού πατέρα

πού βρίσκεται από χρόνια στό σεντούκι.

Μύρισαν κιόλας τά δέντρα ναφθαλίνη.

Winter Approaches

With each tick of the clock a yellow leaf falls.

You had a straw hat with lilac flowers.

Now in there, chickens lay eggs

and a snail climbs on the leg of the chair.

The snow will be cold, cold, cold

like the high collar of our father

hidden in the chest for years.

The trees already smell of mothballs.

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Συγκέντρωση

     Μαζευτήκαμε στην κεντρική πλατεία της κίτρινης πόλης.

Νέοι αξύριστοι, κοπελιές με βυζιά που τρυπούσαν

τις μπλούζες, πουλιά πετούσαν πάνω απ’ το αιώνειο κενό

σαν να καθόριζαν τα σύνορά του κι ο γέροντας στεκόταν

απέναντι απ’ τους επίσημους.

     Ολόασπρα τα γένια του, χέρια διάπλατα ανοιχτά λες

και πριν λίγο ξεπετάχτηκε απ’ τον καθρέφτη του σπιτιού

εκεί που ήταν κι οι νεκροί μας όρθιοι, με γένια ένα μέτρο.

     Δίπλα του γλάστρες και λουλούδια, κι όταν συνέχισε

την ομιλία του άρχισε πάλι μια σιργουλευτή βροχή

που τα πουλιά κρυφτήκαν στις βραγιές, οι επίσημοι

προτίμησαν να τρέξουν προς τη μπυραρία κι ο γέρος με

τα ολόασπρα γένια αποκοιμήθηκε στην αγκαλιά ενός

ζητιάνου.

~Μου αρέσουν εκείνοι που δουλεύουν και βρίσκουν τρόπους

 να οικοδομήσουν την κατοικία του Υπερανθρώπου και

 να ετοιμάσουν χωράφια, ζωντανά και σπαρτά. Έτσι ετοιμάζουν

 τη δική τους δύση.

Gathering

We all gathered in the main plaza of the yellow city,

young, unshaven men, girls with breasts poking through

their blouses, birds hovered over the eternal void as if

to define its borders and the old man stood opposite

the dignitaries. His snow white beard shone, his wide open

arms invited the undesirable and he looked as if he had just

jumped off the family mirror where our dead stood next

to him, all with long, grey beards too. Flower pots and shrubs

of the square remained silent until the old man started

his discourse, the rain recommenced, birds found shelter

in the bushes, dignitaries run to the closest beer parlour

and our old man with the white beard found his comfort

in the arms of the beggar.

I like those who build the house of Übermensch and

who work the fields the livestock, the crops. Thus

they prepare for their end.

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From the book SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS

Catharsis

And time for my catharsis came

vague redeemer that I was holding up

my body erected next to the icons

before the whip took aim at my back 

feeble churchgoers had kneeled

nightingale started its composition

no one ever knew what it meant

yet deep in their consciousness

a glimmer of hope shone

like a soul lost in darkness

and begged for its deliverance

when time for my catharsis came

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Poem by Kostas Karyotakis

SMILE

Although she never learned of it she cried

perhaps because she had to cry

perhaps because misfortune always comes.

Tonight the dusk is just a dream

the ravine remains enchanted

the rain stopped and the tired girl

lied onto the moist clover-field

her parted lips two cherries

this way as deeply she breaths

her breasts ascent and descent

as if the most crisp April rose.

Sun rays flash through the clouds

and hide in her eyes, the lemon tree

drips moist onto her body

two diamonds stop onto her cheeks

you think she may be crying

as she smiles to the faraway sun.

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THIS took place, especially when God’s sickness kept me

down where the futile couldn’t pass and the dead carriage

driver, standing on the railings was still holding the horses

faraway in the endless, since there wasn’t ever any return

only plenty of ancient words, repeated in a different place

or suddenly kept silent,

since we were all strangers here, simple tenants and what

occurred will re-occur and our days are the repeated

signal of something we never understood.

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Poem from the book IMPULSES

Hearing Aid

Growing forgetful in glory

thoughts you never had in youth

but when the chickadee chirps

you tune in your hearing aid

bask in the shape of your

statue honing fine verse

in your serene walk through

the park confer the shape

of untouched vulva

no one asks you for detail

yet you do this to persuade yourself

you can still                                                                        

recite deep verse though you’re

as fritzed as the hearing aid you like

to tune in to the chickadee’s chirp

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EROTIKOS LOGOS

I

Fateful rose, you looked for ways to wound us

but you bend like the secret to be redeemed

and the command you chose to give us was beautiful

and your smile was like a ready sword.

The accent of your circle brought the world to life

the path of a deep thought emerged from your thorn

our ardor dawned sweet and naked to possess you

the world was as easy as a simple heartbeat.

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