CANDLES
—C.P. Cavafy
The days of our future stand before us
like a row of little lighted candles—
golden, warm, and lively little candles.
The days gone by remain behind us,
a mournful line of burnt-out candles;
the nearest ones are still smoking,
cold candles, melted and bent.
I do not want to look at them; their form saddens me,
and it saddens me to recall their first light.
I look ahead at my lighted candles.
I do not want to turn back, lest I see and shudder—
how quickly the somber line lengthens,
how quickly the burnt-out candles multiply.
_______________________
Are you aging? I'm not, of course, but Constantine Cavafy, like many poets, seemed to be somewhat obsessed by it...
AN OLD MAN
—C.P. Cavafy
In the inner room of the noisy café
an old man sits bent over a table;
a newspaper before him, no companion beside him.
And in the scorn of his miserable old age,
he meditates how little he enjoyed the years
when he had strength, the art of the word, and good looks.
He knows he has aged much; he is aware of it, he sees it,
and yet the time when he was young seems like
yesterday. How short a time, how short a time.
And he ponders how Wisdom had deceived him;
and how he always trusted her—what folly!—
the liar who would say, "Tomorrow. You have ample time."
He recalls impulses he curbed; and how much
joy he sacrificed. Every lost chance
now mocks his senseless prudence.
...But with so much thinking and remember
the old man reels. And he dozes off
bent over the table of the café.
________________________
Meanwhile, aging or not, you've got some Snake business to attend to:
•••Tonight (Wednesday, 8/9), 7:30 PM: Irene Lipshin will be releasing her chapbook, Shadowlines, from Rattlesnake Press. Irene is a member of the Red Fox Underground Poetry Workshop in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Come hear her read, and celebrate with us the release of her chapbook, along with the release of Norma Kohout's littlesnake broadside, Out the Train Window, at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. Info: 916-442-9295. And see last week's posts for bios and poetry from these two wonderful poets.
•••And the next deadline for submissions to the September Rattlesnake Review is next Tuesday, August 15; that’s less than one week away! Send 3-5 of your dandiest poems, art, photos, or article ideas to kathykieth@hotmail.com or POBox 1647, Orangevale, CA 95662. No cover letters, no bios, no prev-pubs or simul-subs, pleez…
•••Also tonight (Wed., 8/9), 10 PM-Midnight: Mahogany Poets presents Mics and Moods at Capitol Garage, 1500 K St., Sac. Features & Open Mic hosted by Khiry Malik. Info: www.malikspeaks.com or 916-492-9336. Ages 21 and over; $5 cover.