Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Νέα σεζόν

Μαθαίνω για καρούς με βροχή και μπουμπουνητά στην Ελλάδα, στα μέρη μου. Αλλάζει εκεί η σεζόν: Σιγά-σιγά να φεύγουν τα κοντομάνικα μπλουζάκια. Να ξεπουληθεί στις εκπτώσεις το ανεπίκαιρο καλοκαίρι. Εδώ ακόμα κρατάει ο ήλιος, έχει θρόνους κι εξουσίες. Αλλά, ένδον, η εποχή μεταβάλλεται. Ξεκίνησαν τα μαθήματα, το Ραμαζάνι προ των πυλών.

The Garden of the Beloved
after so long times, exposed to winds and persistent storms
after so many days, robbed in photographs and souvenirs
after so fine transformations, reflected in mirrors
The Garden of the Beloved
opened anew its gate,
now its idol on a still and closed sea
now its idol on salty water
its flowers are alive corals
its grass is alive pebbles
its truth is truth, no matter what the maps describe
no matter what Ibn Batouta claims to have seen
(it is a fact he lost his notes)
believing in his compass.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Ulysses permanently in a temporary Ithaca

Ulysses returns- here my few friends at work call me insistently Ibn Batota, although nothing comparable to his journeys I attempted. Ok, the journey to Istanbul/Constantinople was more of personal encounter with memory, trying to recall my first impressions from the city or, rather, metropolis of nostalgia for the Greek refugees. So I tried to recall how I had seen it 31 years ago, while I was 8... Unfortunately, my monstrous and selective memory keeps me always exposed to such mental-emotional adventures...
In case I find it useful, I will gather here material from the journey, photos and stuff.
I am currently preparing for the new semester, copying, planning and reading intersting pages... I am happy for the new administration at work. Competent people with a vision. I wonder how much time it will take them to give signs of their promising potential.
How does a period start?
a. with some painful farewell: Malik left yesterday to KSA.
b. for me, basically, with the unexpected open-ness to poetry. Suddenly I pay attention to verses that I came across and did not notice. Or sometimes, something new enters my senses with the vertigo-dangerous-grace of the magnetic phenomena.
Here is the new season opener:
Nuage dans la fenetre

Nuage dans la fenetre
Pourquoi ne regardes tu-pas?
Tu passes dans la maison
comme si nous n'existions pas.
Tu passes et ta maison n'a ni portes ni murailles.
Tu vas, tu vas et tu ne sais pas
que tu passes dans ta maison.
Nuage dans la fenetre
(play of Paul Willems)