hellenic-literature

Nikos Engonopoulos – Poems

vequinoxLeave a comment

Ten and Four Subjects for a Painting
For Raymond Russell

  1. Three men. Two of them sit. The third one, with his beautiful, absentminded glance, his back turned toward the window of the room extends his right arm as if he says something as if he wants to say something.
  2. Three men. Two of them stand. The third one sits in the middle of the luxurious room made of ancient marble, of Doric style, with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands on his face. The standing men go near each other and interact with gesticulations and signals, or in a low-tone voice.
  3. Three men. Two of them gesticulate as if in a rage or under certain mania. The third man goes to the window and leaning outside, serenely, he tries to discern, in the side street, something hidden from his view.
  4. Three men are sitting.
    5 Three men are sitting. One of them has a beard and a very nice glance.
  5. Three men. Two of them, standing, greet each other at the bus stop “Two friends”. The third man wears an army uniform.
  6. Three women of exquisite and rare beauty, with a special appearance, dressed in heavy colourful gowns. Two of them sit on gold-adorned tools, with beautiful elbows resting on marble columns of archaic style. The third woman is standing and dressed in a velvet gown of strong red colour, with a big bow, made of expensive satin, on her back. Her name is Maria.
  7. Three men on horses inside the room. Dark attire for walking, spurs, whips, helmets.
  8. Three silent men inspect a globe. A table is close to them and on it, a hammer, a sickle, an open book, a compass, and other instruments. The sign reads: “Tourists.”
  9. A garden in the middle of the palace a fountain, cypresses on both sides and a clock. Saint Nikolas, dressed in a chasuble during the mass, holds the Gospel on his left hand and on his right a chart that reads: “Floating over the church of people…” Behind him, are many soldiers and among them Saint George, young and beardless, and the saints Dimitrios, young with curly hair, and Barbaros, carrying chains. On the left of the image, a ship in danger, on the right a ship on its route.
  10. Three men, two of them are sitting and gazing straight at the people. The third man, standing, vanishes in the shadow of the far room.
  11. Three men. Two of them stand, and the third sits, they display the expression of very busy people.
    13 Three men. Two of them sit and face the third man who stands and orates.
  12. Three men. Two of them sit, and the third man stands.