Poem of the Week, by George Kalogeris

It makes life easier to love what you already have, my partner said the other night when we were talking about a friend who is never satisfied.

Easier, but not always easy. Sometimes I look back in time and wonder what would have become of me if I’d stayed in Vermont. If I’d studied poetry instead of Mandarin. If I’d moved to Thailand. If I’d said no, said yes, said Please let me think this through because something doesn’t feel right, said I need help, said No, I can’t. Or said nothing at all, but walked away, walked toward, walked around.

All the lives we might have lived. All the people we might have been. All the could’ves, reaching their small hands out to us through time and space.

The Evening Star, by George Kalogeris

I boarded the Blue Line at Aquarium station.
The only empty seat was the one by that young,

head back, eyes closed, exhausted-looking father
holding his sleeping child in his folded arms.

It was already suppertime, and the Evening Star,
as Sappho sings, was calling all of the creatures

home to their mother, through the rush-hour traffic.
The subway was coming out of the tunnel’s mouth

and I was sixty when I suddenly felt
a tiny hand start pulling at my sleeve.

In his sleep the child I never had was reaching
out for me, while the father I never became

kept his eyes shut. And all the way to my stop
at Orient Heights, nothing disturbed our dream

Click here for more information about George Kalogeris.

alisonmcghee.com

Words by Winter: my podcast

5 comments

  1. janguerin · July 23, 2022

    An excellent, honest and emotionally understated poem. Loved that the voice of the poem was reflecting on, but not actually regretting his choice…(if there was a choice).
    The poem and the intro captured in words what we all feel; what if I’d…

    Liked by 1 person

    • alisonmcghee · July 23, 2022

      Yes, exactly – not actually regretting, just …wondering.

      Like

  2. Lady Shamla Rose · July 24, 2022

    *Beloved Alison McGhee

    You have made my Sunday 24th July 2022 exceptionally beautiful. Thank
    You very much, Dear Lady.*

    Using the link you gave for Dr. George Kalogeris, I found his contact
    address. So I shared what follows with him. Because I read both his poem
    and this Message, this morning:

    *
    *

    *I have a very deep soul connection with Master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov.
    He orchestrated my Second Birth on the 15th August 2004.

    If you find that interesting, here is a summary of that:*

    *
    *

    In love, with love, for love
    Shamla of Shamballa

    **

    Like

  3. Lady Shamla Rose · July 25, 2022

    *Beloved Alison McGhee

    Dr. George Kalogeris kindly responded. And asked to Thank You.*

    *I am forwarding his reply.

    In love, with love, for love Shamla of Shamballa *

    Liked by 1 person

    • alisonmcghee · July 25, 2022

      It makes me so happy that the web of poetry and people who love poetry and people who write poetry keeps growing.

      Like

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