INTROVERSION–ΕΣΩΣΤΡΕΦΕΙΑ

HARBOR

In the harbor salinity smells
of unfinished voyages dreamy seagulls
argue for people’s garbage

silent moment hovers between
excited activity of myriad people

going doing yelling living and
your mind landlocked in ache

for imaginary exotic locales
paradisiacal seabirds

abundance of food
no war over crumbs of life

like in the harbor you always visit
hoping that you may have

an adventure to faraway lands
exquisite female bodies

only in your mind and
salinity graces your dream
with a certain realism

ΛΙΜΑΝΙ

Στο λιμάνι η αλμύρα μυρίζει
ταξίδι που δεν τέλειωσε
ονειροπόλοι γλάροι μαλώνουν
για τα σκουπίδια των ανθρώπων

αμίλητη σιωπή αιωρείται πάνω
απ’ την βαβούρα χιλιάδων ανθρώπων
που περνοδιαβαίνουν, κάνουν, φωνασκούν, ζουν
κι εσύ με τον πόνο κλειδωμένος στη στεριά

φαντάζεσαι εξωτικά νησιά
παραδείσια θαλασσοπούλια
αστέρευτη τροφή
ανύπαρκτος ο πόλεμος για ψίχουλα ζωής

σαν στο λιμάνι που πάντα επισκέπτεσαι
με την ελπίδα κι εσύ ν’ απολάυσεις

μια περιπέτεια σε χώρες μακρινές
εξαίσια γυναίκεια κορμιά

που μόνο στο νου σου υπάρχουν
με την αλμύρα που τα ποτίζει
με κάποια δόση αληθοφάνειας

Collection in progress/Συλλογή εν εξελίξει

AUSTERITY MEASURES

The only reason the EU would force Greece to leave the euro is to punish it

Date: July 2, 2015 – 12:34AM

~ Clive Crook

In my more than 30 years writing about politics and economics, I have never before witnessed such an episode of sustained, self-righteous, ruinous and dissembling incompetence — and I’m not talking about Alexis Tsipras and Syriza. As the damage mounts, the effort to rewrite the history of the European Union’s abject failure over Greece is already underway. Pending a fuller post-mortem, a little clarity on the immediate issues is in order.
On Monday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at a news conference that he’d been betrayed by the Greek government.

A woman passes a banner supporting the No vote to the upcoming referendum in Athens. Photo: AP
The creditor institutions, he said, had shown flexibility and sought compromise. Their most recent offer involved no wage cuts, he emphasized, and no pension cuts; it was a package that created “more social fairness”. Mr. Tsipras had misled Greeks about what the creditors were asking. The talks were getting somewhere. Agreement on this package could have been reached “easily” if Mr. Tsipras hadn’t collapsed the process early on Saturday by calling a referendum.
What an outrageous passel of distortion. Since these talks began five months ago, both sides have budged, but Mr. Tsipras has given vastly more ground than the creditors. In particular, he was ready to accede to more fiscal austerity — a huge climb-down on his part. True, the last offer requires a slightly milder profile of primary budget surpluses than the creditors initially demanded; nonetheless, it still calls for severely (and irrationally) tight fiscal policy.
In contrast, the creditors have refused to climb down on the question of including debt relief in the current talks, absurdly insisting that this is an issue for later. On Tuesday, Mr. Tsipras made his most desperate attempt yet to bring the issue forward.
Far from expressing any desire to compromise, dominant voices among the creditors — notably German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who often seemed to be calling the shots — have maintained throughout that there is nothing to discuss. The program already in place had to be completed, and that was that.
Yes, the program had failed. No, it wouldn’t achieve debt sustainability. Absolutely, it was pointlessly grinding down Greek living standards even further. What did that have to do with it?
Juncker says the last offer made no demand for wage cuts. Really? The offer says the “wage grid” should be modernised, including “decompressing the [public sector] wage distribution”. On the face of it, decompressing involves cuts. If the creditors were calling for public-sector wages to be decompressed upward perhaps they should have made this clear. Regardless, the increases in value-added taxes demanded by the creditors mean lower real wages, public and private alike. As for no pension cuts, the creditors called for phasing out new early-retirement penalties and the so-called social solidarity payment for the poorest pensioners. Those are cuts.
The creditors called for a lot else, too. Remember that the Greek economy is on its knees. Living standards have collapsed and the unemployment rate is 25 per cent. Now read the offer document, and see if you think the advance in “social fairness” that Juncker stressed at his news conference shines through.
But I haven’t mentioned the biggest distortion of all. Noticing for the first time that Greece has EU citizens within its borders, Juncker addressed them directly on the subject of the July 5 referendum. Greeks will be asked whether they accept the offer presented by the creditors – an offer, by the way, that the creditors say no longer stands. “No [to the offer that no longer exists] would mean that Greece is saying no to Europe,” Juncker explained. President Francois Hollande of France clarified: The vote would determine “whether the Greeks want to stay in the euro zone”.
Nonsense. There’s no doubt that Greeks want to stay in the euro system – though I find it increasingly difficult to see why. If Greece leaves the system, it won’t be because Greeks decide to leave; it will be because Europe decides to kick them out.
This isn’t just semantics. There’s no reason, in law or logic, why a Greek default necessitates an exit from the euro. The European Central Bank pulls this trigger by choosing – choosing, please note – to withhold its services as lender of last resort to the Greek banking system. That is what it did this week. That is what shut the banks and, in short order, will force the Greek authorities to start issuing a parallel currency in the form of IOUs.
A truly independent European Central Bank, willing to do whatever it takes to defend the euro system, could have announced that it would keep supplying Greek banks with liquidity. If the Greek banks are deemed in due course to be insolvent (which hasn’t happened yet), that doesn’t have to trigger an exit, either. Europe has the wherewithal and a bank-rescue mechanism that would allow the banks to be taken over and recapitalized. These options are foreclosed because the supposedly apolitical European Central Bank has let Europe’s finance ministers use it as a hammer to extract fiscal concessions from Greece.
Nobody ever imagined that a government default in Europe would dictate ejection from the euro zone. The very possibility would have been correctly recognized as a fatal defect in the design of the system.
If the Greeks vote no, a Greek exit is a possible and even likely consequence. But if it happens, the reason won’t be that Greece chose to go. The reason will be that the European Union and its politicized central bank chose to inflict exit as punishment.

~Copyright © 2015 Fairfax Media

ANGELOS SIKELIANOS-Lyric Life//ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΣΙΚΕΛΙΑΝΟΣ-Λυρικός Βίος

ANGELOS SIKELIANOS, Lyric Life, Icaros, 1968

From the women of Steriu who gathered
at the monastery of Holy Loucas
to decorate the Epitaphios and
from all the dirge singers who
stayed in vigil until Holy Saturday night
who thought of — as sweetly as they sang ! —
that, under the flowers and the shimmering
enamel it was the flesh of dead Adonis
that went through such excruciating pain?
Because even pain
was among the roses and the Epitaphios lament
and the breaths of spring that
came through the church door grew new wings
from the miracle of resurrection and
the wounds of Christ resembling anemonies
by his feet covered with flowers and
their exquisite, their strong fragrance!

But during the night of the same Saturday
when they all lit their candles from
the one at the holy sanctuary to
the back end of the church, like a wave
the light reached the front door, they all
shivered when they heard among the
“Christ’s risen!” a sudden burst of a voice
yelling: “Georgena, Vangelis!”

There he was, the pride of the village, Vangelis
the dream of every girl, Vangelis
who they all thought was killed in the war; he stood
straight up by the church front door, with
a wooden leg, he wouldn’t come inside
the church, as they all with candles in their
hands looked at him, the dancer who shook
the threshing floors of Steriu, once his face
once his leg as if nailed on the threshold
and couldn’t come further in!

Then, let this verse be my witness—
this simple and truthful verse —
from the pew I was standing I
saw the mother to take off her kerchief
and dash with her head down and
embrace the leg, the wooden leg of the soldier —
and as I saw it my verse writes it here,
this simple and truthful verse —
and she cried out deep from her heart
the yell: “my jewel…my Vangelis!”

And let this verse be my witness
this simple and truthful verse —
they all stood behind her, all who had gathered
since the night of Holy Thursday,
with lullabies to lament for the dead
Adonis, hidden in the flowers, now
they burst out along with the mother’s
yell reaching to the pew I stood
and covered my eyes like a peplos!

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΣΙΚΕΛΙΑΝΟΣ, Λυρικός Βίος, Ίκαρος, 1968

Στ’ Όσιου Λουκά το μοναστήρι, απ’ όσες
γυναίκες του Στειριού συμμαζευτήκαν
τον Eπιτάφιο να στολίσουν, κι όσες
μοιρολογήτρες ώσμε του Mεγάλου
Σαββάτου το ξημέρωμα αγρυπνήσαν,
ποια να στοχάστη – έτσι γλυκά θρηνούσαν! –
πως, κάτου απ’ τους ανθούς, τ’ ολόαχνο σμάλτο
του πεθαμένου του Άδωνη ήταν σάρκα
που πόνεσε βαθιά;
Γιατί κι ο πόνος
στα ρόδα μέσα, κι ο Eπιτάφιος Θρήνος,
κ’ οι αναπνοές της άνοιξης που μπαίναν
απ’ του ναού τη θύρα, αναφτερώναν
το νου τους στης Aνάστασης το θάμα,
και του Xριστού οι πληγές σαν ανεμώνες
τους φάνταζαν στα χέρια και στα πόδια,
τι πολλά τον σκεπάζανε λουλούδια
που έτσι τρανά, έτσι βαθιά ευωδούσαν!

Aλλά το βράδυ το ίδιο του Σαββάτου,
την ώρα π’ απ’ την Άγια Πύλη το ένα
κερί επροσάναψε όλα τ’ άλλα ως κάτου,
κι απ’ τ’ Άγιο Bήμα σάμπως κύμα απλώθη
το φως ώσμε την ξώπορτα, όλοι κι όλες
ανατριχιάξαν π’ άκουσαν στη μέση
απ’ τα “Xριστός Aνέστη” μιαν αιφνίδια
φωνή να σκούξει: “Γιώργαινα, ο Bαγγέλης!”

Kαι να, ο λεβέντης του χωριού, ο Bαγγέλης,
των κοριτσιών το λάμπασμα, ο Bαγγέλης,
που τον λογιάζαν όλοι για χαμένο
στον πόλεμο· και στέκονταν ολόρτος
στης εκκλησιάς τη θύρα, με ποδάρι
ξύλινο, και δε διάβαινε τη θύρα
της εκκλησιάς, τι τον κοιτάζαν όλοι
με τα κεριά στο χέρι, τον κοιτάζαν,
το χορευτή που τράνταζε τ’ αλώνι
του Στειριού, μια στην όψη, μια στο πόδι,
που ως να το κάρφωσε ήταν στο κατώφλι
της θύρας, και δεν έμπαινε πιο μέσα!

Kαι τότε – μάρτυράς μου νά ‘ναι ο στίχος,
ο απλός κι αληθινός ετούτος στίχος –
απ’ το στασίδι πού ‘μουνα στημένος
ξαντίκρισα τη μάνα, απ’ το κεφάλι
πετώντας το μαντίλι, να χιμήξει
σκυφτή και ν’ αγκαλιάσει το ποδάρι,
το ξύλινο ποδάρι του στρατιώτη,
– έτσι όπως το είδα ο στίχος μου το γράφει,
ο απλός κι αληθινός ετούτος στίχος -,
και να σύρει απ’ τα βάθη της καρδιάς της
ένα σκούξιμο: “Mάτια μου… Bαγγέλη!”

Kι ακόμα, – μάρτυράς μου νά ‘ναι ο στίχος,
ο απλός κι αληθινός ετούτος στίχος -,
ξοπίσωθέ της, όσες μαζευτήκαν
από το βράδυ της Mεγάλης Πέφτης,
νανουριστά, θαμπά για να θρηνήσουν
τον πεθαμένον Άδωνη, κρυμμένο
μες στα λουλούδια, τώρα να ξεσπάσουν
μαζί την αξεθύμαστη του τρόμου
κραυγή που, ως στο στασίδι μου κρατιόμουν,
ένας πέπλος μου σκέπασε τα μάτια!…

The source of the Greek version of this post : ~www.cantfus.blogspot.gr

BIOGRAPHY

Sikelianos was born in Lefkada where he spent his childhood. In 1900 he entered the Law School of Athens but did not graduate.

The next years he travelled extensively and devoted himself to poetry. In 1907, he married American born Eva Palmer. They married in America and moved to Athens in 1908. During that period, Sikelianos came in contact with Greek intellectuals, and in 1909 he published his first collection of poems, Alafroískïotos (The Light-Shadowed), which had an immediate impact and was recognized by critics as an important work. He also befriended fellow writer Nikos Kazantzakis, and in 1914 they spent forty days on Mount Athos, visiting most of the monasteries there and living the life of ascetics. The following year they embarked on a pilgrimage through Greece.
In May 1927, with the support of his wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos, Sikelianos held the Delphic Festival as part of his general effort towards the revival of the “Delphic Idea”. Sikelianos believed that the principles which had shaped the classic civilisation, if re-examined, could offer spiritual independence and serve as a means of communication among people.

During the German occupation, he became a source of inspiration to the Greek people, especially through his speech and poem that he recited at the funeral of the poet Kostis Palamas.

In 1949, he was a Nobel Prize for Literature candidate.

He died accidentally in Athens from inadvertently drinking Lysol after having requested Nujol (a medicine) in 1951.

~Wikipedia

SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS

ATHENA

Athena smiled at me when I observed

that everything suited its place
nothing jutted out of position
but the palm tree
in sandy corners of the earth
that needed direction when
early in life I discovered
my secret love: the sea
dark blue and merciless
inviting and ardent punisher
of sins told and petrified

when the goddess chose
of to make my cenotaph and
to erect my statue that
spoke of greatness
true demagogue that I was
with the vague smile
upon my face

she then placed a wilted daffodil
and a fiery red carnation
over my heart
it was a sad day when
I drank water diaphanous to be
it was a diaphanous day
when I vanished
in the azure and
with my legs I strode freely
over my statue’s joy

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Κι η Αθηνά χαμογέλασε που πρόσεξα

πως όλα ταίριαζαν στην θέση τους
τίποτα πουθενά δεν προεξείχε
εκτός από το φοίνικα
σ’ αμμουδερές γωνιές της γης
που χρειαζόταν ρύθμιση
φρέσκος που ήμουν στη ζωή
κι έμαθα την κρυφή μου
αγάπη: θάλασσα
γαλανή κι αμείλικτη
δελεαστική κι αυστηρή τιμωρός
δηλωμένων αμαρτιών και ξεχασμένων

και διάλεξε η Αθηνά μαρμάρινο
το κενοτάφιο να στήσει
και τ’ άγαλμά μου να υψώσει
για τη μεγαλωσύνη
που θα δημαγωγεί
μ’ ένα ανεπαίσθητο χαμόγελο
το προσωπό μου

κι έβαλε μαραμένο μανουσάκι
κι ένα γαρύφαλλο ολοκόκκινο
στο μέρος της καρδιάς μου

ήταν μια μέρα μελαγχολική
όταν ήπια νερό κι έγινα διάφανος
ήταν μια μέρα διάφανη
όταν εξαφανίστηκα
μες στο βαθύ γαλάζιο
και με τα πόδια μου υπερσκέλιζα
του άγάλματός μου τη χαρά

~ΔΕΥΤΕΡΗ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΑ, συλλογή εν εξελίξει.
~SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS, collection in progress.

Ubermensch—Υπεράνθρωπος

POTTER

At the edge of the village we arrived at the half-lit
house with the small yard and the bloomed jasmine.
The air smelled of love undone, as though all evil was
forgiven. Before we entered we heard the potter’s wheel
singing circular notes and joyous messages that with
intensity reflected on our wild youth.
Methodically the wheel transcended mud into exquisite
vessels. Palms pressed, fingers morphed birds and
miracles; suddenly the world gained its meaning like
the sun in the thought of a cloudy day.
An amphora, a cylix, and Ubermensch closed
the curtains that creation wouldn’t escape His movement
as easy as the potter’s. Two Ubermenschen and a hovel
full of beautiful words.

ΑΓΓΕΙΟΠΛΑΣΤΗΣ

Στην άκρη του χωριού φτάσαμε στο μισοφωτισμένο
σπίτι με τη μικρή αυλή κι ένα μοναχικό ανθισμένο γιασεμί.
Αγέρας μύριζε ατημέλητη αγάπη σαν να `χε όλο το κακό
συγχωρεθεί. Πριν μπούμε ακούστηκε του αγγειοπλάστη
ο τροχός που τραγουδούσε στρογγυλές νότες, μηνύματα
χαρούμενα που πυρπολούσαν την ασυμβίβαση νιότη μας.
Μεθοδικά ο τροχός μετάλλαζε το χώμα σε υπέροχα
δοχεία οι παλάμες πίεζαν, τα δάχτυλα ζωγράφιζαν πουλιά
και θαύματα, ξαφνικά ο κόσμος έπαιρνε σημασία όπως
κι ο ήλιος στη σκέψη της συννεφιασμένης μέρας.
Ένας αμφορέας, ένας κύλικας κι ο Υπεράνθρωπος
έκλεισε τις κουρτίνες η δημιουργία να μη δραπετεύσει,
η κίνησή του εύκολη σαν του αγγειοπλάστη: Δυο
Υπεράνθρωποι κι ένα χαμόσπιτο γιομάτο ωραίες λέξεις.
~Ubermensch, Ekstasis Editions, Victoria, BC, 2013