Andonis Fostieris [Greece]

 

The Verb ‘’ I Write’’

I write
I wrote
I’ve written.
 
Fine up to here.
 
But the future is lacking.
Unidiomatic the imperative.
And the indicative is optative
Euphemism.
 
An irregular verb, really.
Intricate.
 
Who can learn it?
 

 
A Poem
 
Since no definition
Is definite
And since of the thousand versions
None answers
            What
            A poem is,
I imagine three more words
Won’t be too heavy:
            Rhythmically
            Cogitating
            Feeling.
 

 
Thus We
 
Like Cynegeirus, the brother of Aeschylus.
You know.
 
Who when the Persians retreated from Marathon
To the safety of their ships
He obstructed a trireme by sticking
His nails astern.  They cut
His hand to the bone.  Covered in blood
He continued with the other.
And when they cut off this one too, at the last moment
He stuck his teeth into the hull, hoping,
He said, to prevent it from setting sail.
 
Prevent it how?  One out of so many?
Legendary balderdash, a red herring
The trireme’s sailing he took for granted. 
He struggled merely to win its delay,  
For (being Aeschylus’ foster brother) he knew this:
Every minute is itself a victory.  He struggled
Merely to win its delay.
 
Tooth
And nail.
 

(Translation: Yannis Goumas)
 

(from “Landscapes of Nothing”)
 
 

 
Author’s Bionote:
 
*Andonis Fostieris was born in Athens in 1953. He studied Law in Athens and History of Law in Paris. He has published ten collections of poetry, two complete editions of his collections and two albums with poetry and painting. Thirty-two translations of his books have been published by reputable publishing houses abroad (England, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, USA, Canada, Argentina). His poetry is included in the High School textbooks of “Modern Greek Literature”, in Greece and Cyprus. He translated the “Advice to a young poet” by Max Jacob. Publisher and director of the magazine “The New Poetry” (1974-1976), co-director of the annual publication “Poetry” (1975-1981), co-publisher and director of the literary magazine “The Word” (1981-2010). He was awarded, among other, the Cavafy International Prize, the Vrettakos Prize of the Municipality of Athens, the State Poetry Prize, and, for the sum of his work, the Poetry Prize of the Academy of Athens.