cyclades

cyclades*

the eye
finds the islands
in that light
on the sea,
so a sculptor
forms in
marble.
on that island
they ply the
village salad
with salt,
on this they
inquire whether
your stomach’s
off should you
order tea,
those on the
island east
tell you those
on the island
west are mad
and swindlers
to boot.
a ring of islands
struck on blue
in mist,
away from
the shore
these islands
same as that
mainland,
bone dry
mountains
sawn upward
to the sky,
small cypresses
wilted in dust
and shadow
like frail churches
of the underworld.

1983 – may 16, 2013
*refers to the Greek islands located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea, totalling some 2,200 islands, only 33 of which are inhabited.  The name “Cyclades” refers to the islands forming a loose circle (‘kyklos’ in Greek); these memories of travelling and living in Greece 1983 – 1985 are just starting to ferment and bubble yet again.