South Korea 2-0 Greece

Choe Young-mi (1961- ; trans. Kyoo Lee & Sarah Maguire)



At Thirty, the Party Is Over

Fact is,
the revolutionaries were cooler than the revolution,
the booze was better than the bar,
and that 'O My Comrade' anthem
sucked —
(though I did hum along to those corny love songs).

But what the hell —
the party is over,
the booze has run dry, wallets are emptied and, finally,
even he's left —
but, although the bill's been split, and they've all got their coats
and even though the place is deserted —
I know there's someone still lurking
wiping tables clean for the boss
remembering all the highs and shedding hot tears
someone who knows every word of the unfinished songs
someone — not him — who'll maybe
set up the tables by morning
who'll invite them all back
who'll rig up the lighting and repaint the stage — sure.

But what the hell.


Vassilis Rouvalis (1969- ; trans. Giannis Goumas)



From Pera

I return with kisses
and monastery bells.
I remember you, Basilia
with your loose blond hair
singing
affectionately to Golden Horn.
I’ll never stop losing
imagination’s
hazy horizon
to breathe your breath.
The streets are still steaming. Nothing remains
for me to mourn.