POEM BY MANOLIS ALIGIZAKIS
OLD COUPLE
Long and narrow rusted table
hardly stands motionless
bleached out tablecloth as though
thrown in debts of river for a long time
cloth faded like her eyes gazing the sea’s
agony that reaches the foreign land
where her son has vanished
shade of grapevine thick like a sin
and harsh like a thought pounding
her memory that light may be reborn
and he brings two plates
trembling hands pour wine in two glasses
small plate with olives, piece of feta
and the sigh expertly camouflaged by a smile
the lone cicada that insists to disturb
monologue of their loneliness
finally he sits next to her when
above them the grapevine laughs
as his calloused fingers touch
her wrinkled hand and the sun
somewhere higher than everybody
roars with laughter when the old man says
to her…you forgot to make the salad
Hellenic Canadian Literature 