HELEN OF SPARTA Poem by ILIAS FOUKIS

 BIOGRAPHY

The Greek poet ILIAS FOUKIS , was born on 20 August 1969 in Epirus in northwestern Greece. Began to write poetry since 1988 when he was student in the Lyceum. Published volume of poetry THE TESTAMENT OF A LESSER GOD , which has been translated into ten languages including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.. Has won literary awards - OSCAR DE DOS OURO VENCEDORES, Brazil 2012 - MASSIMO D'AZEGLIO, Italy, 2012, 2013 - CITA DEL GALATEO, Italy in 2013. MASSIMO D;AZEGLIO 2016. His poem titled YOUNG GREEK SOLITARY was included in Poetry Anthology - U.S. Library of Congress. Works and lives in Athens.

HELEN  OF  SPARTA 


The soldiers...the Ships and the Women in particular
have no idea on how to give commands.

Arranged in a way it couldn`t be worse
it seems strange to them that despite all that
they have acted so sincerely.


After the ceremonial extinguishing of the Fires
and the fall of bodies into Hell
someone was found
who had given them the order
that there was no longer any need to act.


So as you see
the war has ended
and now the autobiographies have to be written
which to be as complete as possible
it was decreed they should be confessions
having as their narrative key
presumptuousness and command.


The poeticism of the Gods, however,
which would have been able to cover up the World`s scandals
went up in flames along with the Cities.


And while writing they recall for yet another time
these Cities alive...
and the People too.
with the past of which
all the Recollections have an unavoidable
and mortal bond
and end their confession in that way...
that it would always remain a revolting Nightmare
and the way they had been betrayed would never be able
to be transformed into a Fairy-Tale.

Translation by PHILIP RAMP