A Greek Miscellany

The Athens Olympics are in full swing, so we thought we'd post some Greek poetry in lieu of a "Poet of the week" feature.

WINTER 1942
Manolis Anagnostakis

The calendar once more dawned Sunday.

Seven days
One after the other
Bound together
All the same
Like the jet-black beads
Of seminary rosaries.

One, four, fifty-two

Six whole days for one
Six days waiting
Six days thinking
For one day
For just one day
For just one hour
Afternoon and sun.

Identical Hours
Without awareness
Trying to shine
On a background of pages
The colour of mourning.

A day of dubious joy
Perhaps just one hour
A few moments.
In the evening the waiting begins again
Again another week, four, fifty-two

………………………………

Today it's been raining since morning
A fine yellow sleet.

© Translation: Philip Ramp . Reprinted from Modern Greek Poetry.

From Three Poems of Rock and Sea
Pavlos D. Pezaros

Greece,
Every time I write your name
- As I fill in the backs of envelopes -
In foreign letters
I cry.

From Poetry Greece, Issue 3, Winter 2001/2001.