The Fig Tree

Ah the wonderful fig tree. It grows everywhere and the figs appear mostly in October and November, although there are, of course, winter figs, even spring figs and summer figs I have heard. But there is something special about the fig tree. Forget the milky sap that some are allergic to, forget even the lack [...]

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Poem for Ersi

It was all so long ago,
Days that never seemed to end,
The gentle rising of the sea in the harbour,
And the birds that came to my window
Just to sing.
And as a child I was warmed
By the sun and by the constancy
Of life among flowers
Brushed by the cooling summer wind.
But my childhood ended that summer
As the birds, [...]

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The Olive Tree

I bought a field in Kriti where grew an olive tree,
I watered it and pruned it with assiduity,
Until I found I owned the ground
But did not own the tree.
So I bought the tree, for weeks I thought
The haggling would not stop.
Now I can pick my olives, and start a little shop.
Oh No, [...]

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Ithaca

If you decide to go to Ithaca,
Hope that the journey is long,
Full of adventure and experience.
Those Laestrygonians, the Cyclops, angry Poseidon,
Do not be afraid of them
For you will never see them on your way
As long as your thoughts are pure
And passion touches both your spirit and your flesh.
The Laestrygonians, the Cyclops, fierce Poseidon,
You will not [...]

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