~~~ STARLIGHT ~~~
A poetic collection by Maria Keisoglou
-translation: Barbara Tzoannou-
-translation: Barbara Tzoannou-
{PROLOGUE
Many were those who constantly encouraged us to devote time to people in this country who are willing to create and shape our civilization. And they were right. Especially during these harsh times that our country has become a boxing sack we wish such people to act as beacons and show that another such Hellas exists.
A Hellas of creation a Hellas of civilization and a Hellas of inspiration. In fact it would be insulting to our title SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND CREATION (πηγή έμπνευσης και δημιουργίας - Ερευνητικός ορανισμός Ελλήνων), if we did not provide a stand to young people who through their inspiration are willing to create . Therefore in this electronic book which you are now reading the Greek Institution of Research has given the opportunity to a young upcoming poetess ,Maria Keisoglou, to present her poetic collection
"STARLIGHT".
Being responsible of our publishing company I am really proud to publish something so unique for the Greek institution of research but also in general as well.
But let us leave words aside and let us begin to read more than ten poems which have as sources our dreams and dance with our imagination in a dance which is called life.}
"OUR MEETING"
Our own meeting has no end , no outer shell, it does not float
It only searches within its depths to find a bottom to pitch its anchor
And looses itself within the colours of an ever changing earth
Without air it gets carried away and shines like a fire unquenched and remote from evil tongues and envious eyes
Ostracizing dark thoughts and delighting within its womb
It remembers from always and lives on forever , and within the moonlit dust it travels upon wings
An aura which is immaterial and wonders intoxicated, it sings you an icy lullaby..
"NOT YOU"
It’s the world that hurt me , life that wounded me and not you my immortal butterfly from whose lips my happiness depends on and not on your beauty my light.
And to whom shall I tell this that I await death through your redemption, elated and pristine white ?
How can I conceal you and how can I explain to you my distant star on whom I rest my bed ?
"STORMS"
Storms ripple the waters of the sea and change her colours they lash upon her like whips and change her .
If only she could for once give us her joy of her exquisite changes , alone without the high winds clouds or storms creating this
And if only I could forsake you for the eyes of the world.. !!
"WITHOUT YOU"
Your words unfolded like nets in my life’s walkings
You captured half of my dreams in my life’s desire
Slow and nightmarish spread the veil of your absence.
Let me now wash away in the tear that filled my eyes
During my waiting for you
Allow my heart to rest at the lagoons bloody run without you.
Allow my thoughts to rest from the curious eyes of the bystanders.
I want to fly with my own wings
Through sadness and abandonment I am reborn
Astray from all foreign criticism, I soar high whirling
A little further up from where I looked and did not find you
Once ... suddenly…
I cut the rope of your belated betrayal
And unleashed myself in the exquisite blue of happiness
Of a distant childhood fantasy.
A ray of light I travelled in the endless universe of myself
Close to narcissistic bright galaxies , as a lie
Like whatever I lived I did not expect..
suddenly..
suddenly..
"GOLDEN DREAM"
There was once a golden dream that shone with love
And was fashioned like an evening water lily
In a silent lake with swans made of suns and tears
With swans made of snow and ashes
And without form they drifted in the waters of the lake
which they filled with tears
Made of sorrow and happiness
The lake which I dreamt of with passion
yet lived only once..
yet lived only once..
"FOREIGN SHIP"
In our hearts paths there is no reason to govern us
They are musical palaces without lyrics or voice
As birds chirp and what they say is obscure to me
So do I love you without reason or cause
You are a foreign ship which set sail from past lives
That arrived now to take me to foreign lands
"ATTRACTION"
Frayed nerves
Secrets that sway
Bows well shaped searching for you .
Penetrating sounds and sleepy bodies
And when they find you
They leave you be.
They hunt you through death but for love
They remain immortal .
Guards to your movements .
Light .
Shadows of yours, hidden .
Love..
"ONE SORROW"
Love demands sacrifice
And hatred punishment
I cannot bear such a prison anymore
Me being here
Yet you being there
I have doubts for I sinned plenty to deal you with the final blow
Within my own being a sorrow has overtaken me
And my soul is a slave which cannot reach you..
"TO THE SPONTANEOUS SILENCE OF FREEDOM"
Words.
Fake words.
Confusing words.
Senseless words.
Words that ring true like small nova stars
And light the dark sky
For the human flesh eye.
Words forgotten.
Words that are shapeless.
Bitter words .
Sweet words.
Indefinite words.
Soulless words.
Words spontaneous and alive .
Different sorts of words
From different sorts of reasons
For different sorts of reasons .
Human words of unexplained reason
Of a shapeless silence.
Words of reason of an outcast heart.
Words of an early work of a small heart.
Fossil words of a great heart.
Words which echoe criticism.
Final words.
Dust from the flight of the carriage of time
Concerning that stop without words
Without a space for words
Until the height of a royal immaterial and absolute silence
An endless silence..
"PROMPTING"
Soften my heart from all unfairness fear and sadness
As to enjoy the joys of life
And feel weightless
And soar higher in the world like a falcon
So as to marvel at its wonders
Clear up my soul so as to withstand your fate
Over which you have no control
Become beautiful
So as to gather courage to gaze upon your self
As since the beginning of time in all your splendid nature and the unknown
You are uniquely hewn out
My soul was born form sadness
And what saddens you , you should steer clear from
If you cannot rid yourself from fear and unfairness
Disregarding what the world around you says.
I am aware that what until now horrid you have lived
You wish it as a bad dream to seem
And leave it behind painlessly without forgetting
so as to walk ahead once again.
Your load is heavy
Which you have been summoned to carry
And you as a worthy warrior
Can find a way to free yourself without submitting your weaponry.
And so when you win your battle in a worthy way
You shall be honoured and elevated
And thus you shall be able to walk the path of your destiny in a better way
Soften my heart
Do not despair
for the sun will shine again
accept your luck effortlessly
and you shall be rewarded ,do not underestimate your virtues
do not worship anyone as God.
"OUT OF LOVE"
An endless dead garden
An evening frozen pole
A forest burnt and baren
A cloudy sky an easter one
A soiled valley
A dry field which decorates itself from the scarce winter leaf shedding trees
An empty avenue just before dawn
Lights of the streets which are out, forgotten
White frozen rooms .
And in the silence my heart beats like a bird
It chirps endlessly for you waiting for a different sign a colour , a voice
A touch of yours so that the world can begin afresh from love..
"STARLIGHT"
Your eyes are like starlight
Which allow me to traverse the universe
And with the speed of light , I enchant the whole world
I am a fiery comet of the sun
Letting myself drift ,
I wonder through your galaxies and seek your traces.
I look for you in the infinite , I find you in a dream
Your nights are endless in your own risk .
And if your life becomes smoke
And dust in the ether
I will have become a small eagle
Within your secret sphere.
I alone am an invader
Who steals away your kisses
Light like water vapour
I send them
I weave wreaths all around me
I adorn you with caresses
And with a jasmine perfume
I resurrect you at night .
I stayed awake at midnight
And with waves I stole from you
Secrets of the seas with colours and salt
I sing to you a lullaby softly
And with shells I summon to you fiery love words to await you.
From my dream I have not awaken
I search for you endlessly
And find you only within my imaginations frame.
"YOU CANNOT"
Endless are your thoughts
like a world that you wander about
and has no end
multiformed multicoloured and endless they seem
and strong enough to find the edge and lift the burden of your life.
yet they kill themselves repeatedly in front of your sadness,
the bows in your heart remain .
you wish you knew how they stopped bleeding
a pointless illusion
you still await someone to rid you of the venomous arrows
which left deep wounds and to be saved alone you cannot.
"STILL WAITING"
I have no space to redeem myself
And save my heart
Nor to gaze upon the skye
And lift my thoughts
The world has become a prison
Devoid of stars
With boundaries and inscriptions
In worlds divided
The world has become a prison
Because it is muddled
Like the tower of babel
Muddled and enchanted .
Like an abstract work of art ,
a painting, our love became
and you still await .
Our fate was harsh
And I am looking for an answer
Everything seems hazy
And I am lost on a map.
"METAPHYSICS"
Emptiness and immensity
The sketch of a figure
A luminous circle in the dark
Which sinks and becomes smaller in its core
And the inside becomes one with the outside.
"COME LET US GO TO THE CINEMA"
Take me in your arms
I look at you and I weep
I whisper in your ears
How much my light I love you .
Take me in your arms and let us move forward
Let me not be scared of the snow storm
Let me hold you near me
Let us watch go to the cinema
And then off to Kifissia
To play bowling and run in the snow .
In the disco let us caress
Until the early hours
And in the end I shall treat you
With ice cream made of fire
Come let us go to the cinema
And then to Kifissia
And let us get lost in the square like small children !
- Translation from Greek to English by Barbara Tzoannou -
