Κατερίνα Γώγου//Katerina Gogou

TROY AVENUE 35A

My house, like yours
intrudes into the houses of others
since the roads are so narrow
and there are so many people.
Sometimes I feel we sleep in the same bed
since we are almost glued together
we use the same brush to brush our teeth
and we eat the same food.
Only when you go
you leave behind your dirty dishes
it can’t be explained otherwise
that the sink is always full.
It doesn’t matter though.
I do what I can
to show how much I love you.
For this I put on the fake moustache
and I go out to the rain with a fan
that your children will laugh.
Only I beg of you don’t gossip about us
and leave my Myrto alone.
She was born as she looks:
sad.

 

ΤΡΟΙΑΣ 35 Α

Το σπίτι μου όπως και το δικό σας
μπαίνει στα σπίτια των άλλων ανθρώπων
έτσι στενοί που `ναι οι δρόμοι
έτσι πολλοί που `ναι οι ανθρώποι.
Είναι φορές κολλητά όπως ζούμε
που θαρρώ πως κοιμόμαστε στο ίδιο κρεβάτι
πλένουμε τα δόντια μας με το ίδιο βουρτσάκι
και τρώμε το ίδιο φαί.
Μόνο που όταν φεύγετε
αφήνετε τα πιάτα σας άπλυτα
δεν εξηγείται αλλιώς
έτσι βρόμικος που είναι πάντα ο νεριοχύτης.
Δεν πειράζει όμως.
Και κάνω ό,τι μπορώ
για να σας δείξω πόσο σας αγαπάω.
Γι’ αυτό κολλάω το μουστάκι
και βγαίνω με τη βεντάλια στη βροχή.
Για να γελάσουν τα παιδιά σας.
Μονάχα σας παρακαλώ μη μας κουτσομπολεύετε.
Κι αφήστε τη δική μου τη Μυρτώ ήσυχη.
Έτσι γεννήθηκε.
Λυπημένη.

~Κατερίνας Γώγου/Katerina Gogou, Τα τελευταία Ποιήματα
~Μετάφραση Μανώλη Αλυγιζάκη/Translated by Manolis Aligizakis

 

BIOGRAPHY

Katerina Gogou (Greek: Κατερίνα Γώγου; 1 June 1940 – 3 October 1993) was a Greek poet, author and actress. Before her suicide by pill overdose at the age of 53, Gogou appeared in over thirty Greek films. She was born in Athens, Greece.
One of her books was translated into English, “Three clicks left” in the United States in 1983 by Jack Hirschman and published by “Night Horn Books” in San Francisco. The Greek title was, ‘Τρία κλικ αριστερά’, and first published by Kastaniotis in 1978. Her poetry was known for its rebellious and communist content.
As an actress she was known for lesser roles of rebellious free spirited women. She won the first women’s award at the Salonica film festival.
As a poet she is known for her antiestablishment poems and her anarchist ideals. Her verse is filled by indignation and refute however her ideals, her wounded psychological state lead her to suicide at the age of 53.
Numerous poems written by Gogou appeared in the Greek film ‘Parangelia’ about the life of Nikos Koemtzis who, in 1973, killed three individuals (two of whom were policemen) and injured another eight at a bouzouki club in Athens over a dance.