Alexandria
In vain I searched for you on the sandy beach of
Alexandria
covered by the footsteps of goneby authors
desiring that which once was
and now seems like dried algae
that flew away with the wintry north wind.
How long can one endure the past
listening to the sea of Seferis talking to you
with the sweetness of sirens
that never dared to appear on this beach?
Even the rocks are exhausted waiting.
It is best to forget all accept this turqoise sea
gently crushing the lost future.
Yet, spring will soon arrive and the blossoms will bloom.
Nefertiti
Whom shall I talk to
now that I lost you in the Nile
reflecting your beauty from your childhood
awaiting that someone will visit you again?
You are the modern Nefertiti
your beauty surpasses your presence
it adores the sun
the one god she believed in.
And now that you vanished without trace
we shall pray to Aton to take care of you.
And hence started the reign of silence!
St. Valentine’s Day
I was never keen about this forced feast
all these red hearts stuck to windows,
tied to poles as if we want to remind ourselves
that love exists, even if we believe that all is fiction.
And this morning they called me to let me know
that you are not yet born, you who most probably is a girl,
you whose heart still beats till now
but we are better off to prepare the funeral
with all that white glory shining everywhere
reminding us of your guiltiless purity
your heart beating faster and faster
thristing for some more life
maybe the destiny was mistaken
the results are flawed:
I stare at the white walls
forever imagining you as I desired you
smiling at me and playing with my white hair
with that gentle look that maybe one day
would have explained to me the meaning
of this bloody love.
Author’s Bionote:
*John Peter Portelli (Malta 1954) is a
Maltese-Canadian author and professor emeritus in the
Department of Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto (Canada). He has
published 14 collections of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two
novels. His work has been translated and published in 9 languages. Three of his
books won North American awards.
covered by the footsteps of goneby authors
desiring that which once was
and now seems like dried algae
that flew away with the wintry north wind.
How long can one endure the past
listening to the sea of Seferis talking to you
with the sweetness of sirens
that never dared to appear on this beach?
Even the rocks are exhausted waiting.
It is best to forget all accept this turqoise sea
gently crushing the lost future.
Yet, spring will soon arrive and the blossoms will bloom.
now that I lost you in the Nile
reflecting your beauty from your childhood
awaiting that someone will visit you again?
your beauty surpasses your presence
it adores the sun
the one god she believed in.
we shall pray to Aton to take care of you.
all these red hearts stuck to windows,
tied to poles as if we want to remind ourselves
that love exists, even if we believe that all is fiction.
And this morning they called me to let me know
that you are not yet born, you who most probably is a girl,
you whose heart still beats till now
but we are better off to prepare the funeral
with all that white glory shining everywhere
reminding us of your guiltiless purity
your heart beating faster and faster
thristing for some more life
maybe the destiny was mistaken
the results are flawed:
I stare at the white walls
forever imagining you as I desired you
smiling at me and playing with my white hair
with that gentle look that maybe one day
would have explained to me the meaning
of this bloody love.