Kornaros's Classic Poem in Longhand by (an 12-year old resident of Crete) Manolis Emmanuel Aligizakis
Greek Canadian Literature Libros Libertad Manolis Aligizakis
Experiences
As the years pass the colours desert me or I desert
them, the white rock seems more suitable to me.
I carve, using the edge of my fingers, or with all
my palm, with my lips, a white body, opposite
the darkness of night, matching the night, discernible
in the darkness. I let my tongue lustily in the marble
mouth. Now then I have the right to keep silent and
to close my eyes.
Pick You Up
Together, in another world
I said I’ll see you after work
In happiness we fixed the date
And I couldn’t wait for the wait
Standing there, on the ground floor
Inside the automatic door
Or is it revolving? I don’t care
I just know that I’ll soon see you there
Next to the elevator, on the screen
I count the numbers: five, four, three…
Two… one… zero… got you, spotted!
I couldn’t be more in this moment
You step out, your badge on your neck
„Mission complete” – one could have said
But instead of that we both just smile
And take steps closer, for a while
„I feel my heart pound” – you tell me
I laugh – „Is this what it should be?
We should feel empty, tired, and bored
Looking forward just to be back home”
Then you hug me, and we kiss
Under the sky, in an inverse abyss
Towards the stars we elevate
This was the feeling worth the wait!
… But in this world, you’ll see your wife
I wonder if she loves her life
For whatever life may sometimes seem
It could be someone else’s dream
excerpt
“Did you sleep well?” she asked stiffly.
“Yes,” he replied, rising groggily through the dream. “And I’m even better now that you’re here.” He reached out to draw her close to him and she snuggled on to the bench.
She relaxed a little, then asked, “You didn’t come up to me to ‘tuck in’?”
“I wanted to. Guess I fell asleep right away.” He remembered his conflict, thought about telling her of his fears, then changed his mind.
She watched these emotions pass across his face. Her eyes widened. “No matter. It’s my rest day today,” she said, “and I want to spend it with you. Promise you’ll stay tomorrow night as well!”
He embraced her. “Yes, of course I’ll stay. I’ll stay for as long as you want.”
I
Come, sit next to me
during the cold winter nights
let me discover the pain of denial
on your whitish fingertips
let me meet that calling
tender welcomed caress
you received and felt
before you ever touched me
come, let me erase tears
and sighs off your eyelids
with you and with the stars
we shall define the length of evening
along with the end of the holy light
excerpt
had heard, until Father Jerome sent him to the East. Yes this happened
soon after Father Nicolas came to the school and Father
Jerome gave him the administrator’s role.”
“Why don’t you leave this, baby?” Anton asked her, “leave
this facility, the job, your position here; this isn’t a place one
would like to work; I’m thinking of it too, although I’ve been
here for such a short time…”
Mary looked in Anton’s eyes as if to read his reassurance
that perhaps they could both leave, they could both go someplace
else, start a new life, a new page on their lives.
Anton felt her question. He didn’t hear it since Mary didn’t
utter it aloud, but he knew at once her mind’s wondering.
“Yes, I could do the same and we could be together. This is
a big country sweetheart. What do you expect to happen to this
School when the press will get a whiff of this diary?”
“You think of sending it to the newspapers?” Mary said
and brought her hand in front of her mouth.
“This is something the world has to be informed about;
this is what Dylan would want me, us, to do. This isn’t meant to
be kept secret.”
“What would come of this place when the newspapers
start writing?”
“It would be impossible for the place to keep open. I’m
sure the Federal Government will take action, some action definitely,
but we also need more proof, more examples of abuse,
physical and sexual and mental abuse…” Anton added.
“How can we do that?”
“We’ll keep our eyes open and come to think of it, when
the days become shorter come October I’ll spend some nights
here. I have in mind to get a new bed and mattress, throw away
all the old stuff Dylan had and after I clean up the place
Mayanaam
vequinox
Manolis 