- 2008
translated by the poet and Stefanos Basigkal
First time this spring I held two candles
at Good Friday's Epitaph procession
I not quite a believer
Still, since three years ago
I always light two candles
in the tiniest chapels
Since we say the soul falters
I light them up tenaciously naive
and with the expectation of the faithful
Then we say – gone
But I will not ever forget
how your face lit up austere
one night when seeing me
blow out a candle flame
You take its soul away. Never
blow it out. Always
with wetted fingers touch the wick
– inside your palm
gather the flame
don't scatter it away
Since then I'm always careful
without explaining even though I'm teased
for such an odd attention. It is worth
wetting the fingers
tenderly holding the flame
it is worth the effort
the slight risk that your hand
cowardly, hesitant, may get burnt
that a soul may burn you
as it –temporarily– retreats
But before dozing yesterday I forgot
blew out the flame – the wall
got splashed above the second pillow
with melted candle wax
Nothing then could comfort me – as if
it were a human being – and I were to blame
To sossivio (The lifesaver), 2008 - Appeared in Poetry London, no. 82 (Autumn 2015)
More from Ioannidis Panayotis
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To sossivio (The lifesaver)