Monday, February 23, 2009

Ανταρα / Tempest (a poem in two languages)

Ανταρα
Η ασφαλτος της πολης με οδηγει μπροστα
και δεν μ' αφηνει πισω ποτε να κοιτω,
μα που και που η ματια την αντανακλαση ψαχνει
μιας ζωης που στη καρδια μου σφιχτα κρατω.

Δεν ειναι οτι θελω σε σενα να γυρισω ξανα,
απλα θυμαμαι εποχες που περασαν σε μια στιγμη,
μια ανασα της νιοτης που κρατησαμε σαν καναμε βουτια
στη θαλασσα και κατεβηκαμε στα βαθη της γρηγορα με οργη.

Ο ανοιξιατικος ηλιος εχει αρχισει να λιωνει τα χιονια,
η ανασα του ανεμου εχει ζεστανει λιγο κι' αυτη.
Kαθισμενος μπροστα στη πορτα περνανε τα χρονια,
μια εικονα ξεθωριασμενη μεσα μονο σε μια στιγμη.

Σηκωνομαι αργα, βαδιζω μουδιασμενα, σιωπηλα
σκεφτοντας τα παλια, το κεφαλι σκυφτο.
Mα σε λιγο το αιμα θα βρασει και ξανα με ανταρα
μεσα στην ασφαλτο της πολης θα χαθω.

....
Tempest
The asphalt streets of this city lead me ahead
and never let me look behind.
But once in a while a fleeting glance searches
for the reflection of a life tightly held in my heart.

It’s not that I want to return back to you,
simply that I recall seasons that passed in a moment,
Youth's breath held in as we prepared to plunge
In the ocean and with rage swiftly decent in its depths.

The snow started to melt under the early spring's sun,
the wind's breath has started to warm up as well.
Sitting in front of my door the years pass me by,
a picture's bright colours fading within a moment.

Slowly I rise, stiffly choosing my steps, silently
thinking of the past, the head down.
But soon the blood in tempest will boil,
and in the asphalt streets of this city I will get lost.


...to be continued

Sunday, February 08, 2009

hunger moon...

...or Full Snow Moon, so named because of the amount of snow that falls during February. Also observed by the native Americans as the Hunger Moon as it became very difficult to gather food during this month. So this Monday let's pause and think about the full moon when you see it rising in the sky. Let's wonder about the billions that will be spent to fix the economic system and hope they are allocated in the correct way so that we don't experience the Hunger Moon...

Monday, February 02, 2009

Summertime in Prague

Summertime in Prague
when blood was warm
when blood was young
after all those tears
after all those years
I long for

Summertime in Prague
we were so rich
without a dime
when I was your queen
and you were my king
without a palace

We would sleep in cheap hotels
and wake up from the sound of bells on Sundays
we would only drink cheap wine
but I was yours
and you were mine

Summertime in Prague
I was a fool
I could not see
that you were meant to be
the only one for me
now I long for

We would sleep in cheap hotels
and wake up from the sound of bells
on Sundays we would only drink cheap wine
but I was yours
and you were mine

Summertime in Prague
when blood was warm
when blood was young
after all those tears
after all those years
I long for
Summertime in Prague

by Panayotis Kalantzopoulos (with Elli Paspala singing)...is one of those songs that carry few lifetimes in them. Have a listen and let me know what you think.