Yannis Ritsos – Poems, Volume I

Ocean’s March

Eyes content with water pictures
that still hunger for water
parades of stars in the memory of gulls asleep
sudden assault of dolphins panic of aqua world
on cracked water mirrors
the circular escape of galaxy
Let startled silence leave again
to the distant asleep shore
– white daughter of sunken captains
living in the ruins of the ancient dock
and every night as the moon fills
she is chased by the drunk sailors
Master of the sky of earth and of the sea
until when shall we vigil
until when shall we thirst
until when shall we die?
To reach where the light
stops shattering
on wounds and roses
to silence the footsteps
of tired swallows
you would have to get tired
to the last step of twilight
with your breath shattered until death

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Katerina Anghelaki Rooke – Selected Poems

I Have a stone
I lick a stone. The pores of my tongue match the pores of the stone. my
tongue dries up and travels to the other side of the stone that touches
the soil and has some mold glued on it like blood. suddenly my
tongue becomes moist again; it moistens the stone which slides in my
mouth.
I call this stone Oedipus, because like Oedipus the stone is irregular
with deep gouges in the eyes. It too tumbles with swollen ankles.
When it stays still it hides under it a fate, a serpent, my forgotten self.
I call this stone Oedipus because it has no meaning on its own it has
the shape and weight of the choice.
so I name it and I lick it
to the end of my story
until I understand what choice means
until I understand what end means

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Titos Patrikios – Selected Poems

V

Have we ever thought of
all the poetry books that
are never read?
The many acts of generals
that no historian has ever recorded
(or didn’t want to record?)
Have we ever contemplated on
all the beloved conversations with friends
who knew deep inside
that one day we’ll look at them as strangers?

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Medusa

Coalition

They assembled from the north
and south, from eastern lands and
western territories, they gathered.
The coalition of the willing
reached a conclusion:
Neocons would attack the western flank
Neo-liberals would bomb the eastern dunes
The socialists would secure the North
free marketers would advance from the South
no inch of this country should
be left free to chance.
Humanitarians would drop rations
of food in plastic containers
fried rice, mashed potatoes
preservatives and ambience
nations assembled and in unison and
they reached an agreement
for the good of the inhabitants
they had to cleanse the land
of undesirable pollutants
and its disallowed freedom

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