I’ve often thought of leaving this house of the dead;
of simply going and living upon the sea,
for shadows and forgotten voices reside here;
misshapen dolls that ascend and descend the stairs.
The naked window opens out onto the night;
the panes have all fallen – bits of glass in the dust.
I remain here, struggling to find my shadow;
a ragged remnant of an old forgotten sun.
The Naked Window
by Georgios Themelis (1900-1976)
Translation © R J Dent (2009)
R J Dent 