ROULA POLLARD

ROULA POLLARD

IF WE CARED MORE

May be, in ten days everything will be forgotten

may be, all mothers of the world will be silenced

may be, ten more wars will start in ten days

may be, uncountable blood will be spilled over the world’s  deserts

May be, the same number of accurately controlled bombs will be dropped

with surgical accuracy, accuracy as it happens on a surgical table

how many bombs, nobody knows! Nobody will ever learn.

Nobody will ever complain about bombs dropping. Who will?

The murdered loss of innocent citizens may be increased

without even noticing any political change. Who can lawfully defend war?

May be, you too are alone, deserted in your own desert.

You may be fighting your own battle, important, unimportant battles

without realizing it

May be, this war is totally irrelevant to you

since the war takes place far from your home, but truly in your back yard

But it may be, the world can function better

politics may work out in a human way

without wars murdering people without humanity

Without wars, murdering soldiers without humanity

if only all people, all of us could try, try to understand what we are losing

if only we could understand, if for our own lives, we had more compassion

© Roula Pollard

All rights reserved

***

            ΑΝ ΠΡΟΣΠΑΘHΣOYΜΕ….

Μπορεί σε δέκα μέρες νάχουν όλα ξεχαστεί

μπορεί όλες οι μάνες να σωπάσουν….

μπορεί σε δέκα μέρες να αρχίσουν άλλοι δέκα πόλεμοι

και σ’ άλλες έρημους αμέτρητο αίμα να χυθεί…

            Μπορεί να πέσουν άλλες τόσες βόμβες

με χειρουργική ακρίβεια

χωρίς ποτέ κανείς να μη πάρει είδηση,

χωρίς ποτέ κανείς να διαμαρτυρηθεί….

Μπορεί η σφαγή αθώων άμαχων να συνεχίζεται

χωρίς παραμικρή πολιτική αλλαγή στη σκέψη…

Μπορεί και συ να βρίσκεσαι έρημος στην έρημο σου

να δίνεις τη δική σου  μάχη, ασήμαντη ή σημαντική.

Μπορεί  και να μην έχει σημασία ιδιαίτερη

αφου όλα γίνονται μακριά απ’ την πόρτα σου….

Όμως μπορεί να λειτουργούσαν όλα διαφορετικά

ν’ αλλάζαν όλα στο καλλίτερο και η ανθρωπότητα

Xωρίς πολέμους, μακελειό, απανθρωπιά

αν μόνο ελάχιστα με πίστη όλοι προσπαθήσουμε….

© Roula Pollard

All rights reserved

THE VOICE OF BIRDS IN FLIGHT

If I could translate the language of birds

I would be able to read better my destiny

in the hillsides of wild bee hives

or in the formations of migrating swallows

in absolute logic and harmony

The earlier you learn Happiness

in your personal ocean depths, in the self-sea coves

the fewer battles you fight in life

The NDA of Happiness is immutable

if her wings are guided by faith and knowledge

Happiness eliminates fear, and the light the Divine Grace offers

supports the flight of progress for mankind

© Roula Pollard

All rights reserved

Η ΦΩΝΗ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΥΛΙΩΝ

Αν  να ερμηνεύω ήξερα τη γλώσσα των πουλιών,

θα διάβαζα καλλίτερα το μέλλον μου

σε κάμπους με αγριομέλισσες 

ή τους σχηματισμούς εκείνους των χελιδονιών,

με αρμονία απόλυτη και κρίση.

Την Ευτυχία όσο τη γνωρίζεις ενωρίτερα

στα υπερθαλάσσια του εαυτού και σε σπηλιές,

τόσο μικρότερες τις μάχες δίνεις για να ζήσεις.

Το DNA της Ευτυχίας από καταστροφές απρόσβλητο,

αν  τα φτερά της οδηγεί  γνώση και πίστη.

Το φόβο εξαφανίζει και το φως που δίνει η θεία χάρη

 το πέταγμα του ανθρώπου  των  φτερών στηρίζει.

© Roula Pollard

All rights reserved

THIS POEM…LIKE A MIRACLE

This poem like the tree of life

never ends. It breaths, it starts again

from the beginning, it opens new roads in the morning,

builds new homes with wide windows and doors

it informs the builders of love

that we are more effective than yesterday

This poem, my new country, my sky

attempts a new meeting

makes a proposal overturning negative forces,

gives a promise that we go ahead in life with new love

This poem, with all of its islands

and its continents, full of compassion

more bread, water of love, kindness

offers us. An answer to old questions

a life agreement, fulfillment of dreams…

In a land, where people seek justice

a promise of a life we love

© Roula Pollard

All rights reserved

ΣΑΝ ΕΝΑ ΘΑΥΜΑ …ΤΟ ΠΟΙΗΜΑ

Σα δέντρο της ζωής αυτό το ποίημα

δεν έχει τέλος, αναπνέει κι όλο αρχίζει από την αρχή.

Ανοίγει νέους δρόμους το πρωΐ,

σπίτι με νέα παράθυρα και πόρτες

ενημερώνει συνεργεία αγάπης

ότι είμαστε πιό μάχιμοι από χθες.

Αυτό το ποίημα, νέα πατρίδα κι ουρανός μου,

επιχειρεί μια νέα συνάντηση,

μια πρόταση που αναιρεί τ’ αρνητικά,

μια υπόσχεση ότι με αγάπη νέα προχωράμε.

Αυτό το ποίημα με όλα τα νησιά

και τις ηπείρους του, ψωμί, νερό αγάπης, καλοσύνη

μας προσφέρει, απάντηση  μιας νέας ερώτησης,

μια συμφωνία  εκπλήρωση ζωής και  ονείρων…

Εκεί που αναζητούν δικαίωση οι άνθρωποι

 υπόσχεση γιά  μιά ζωή που αγαπάμε…

©

ROULA POLLARD

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ROULA POLLARD, Greek poet, writer, playwright, translator, literary promoter, broadcaster, Poetry festival organizer, has had three collections of Poetry published, articles, essays, is included in international anthologies, and co-operates with Universities regarding literary and social projects. Studied Archaeology, Athens University and an M.A. in Classics, Leeds University. Lived in England 25 years, was lecturer of Modern Greek language and Civilization at Wakefield College. She promoted top English and Greek poets and participated in prestigious English and Greek Poetry festivals.

ACHIEVEMENTS & PUBLICATIONS:

•           Three collections of poetry published in Greek: “Presence”, “Points of Silence”, “The Birth of Beautiful Time”. Her 4th poetry collection will be published in English in 2017, and also a Greek Poetry collection, in Athens.

•           Published literary articles in Greek and English in literary magazines on contemporary Greek, English and American poets and artists.  ( Sylvia Plath, Henry Moore, Nikiforos Vrettakos, Machi Mouzaki, Angelos Vogasaris, Dimitris Layios, e.a).

•           Translated an anthology of the works of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes into Greek, and presented a series of broadcasts about Sylvia Plath’s Poetry on Athens National Radio ERT, 1987.

•           As Literary promoter, she organized poetry readings in English universities, colleges, poetry festivals, writers and international associations for well known English poets in West Yorkshire, 1987 – 1997 (Carol-Anne Duffy, Hugo Williams, Sylvia Kantaris, Michael Horovits, Simon Armitage, Ian MacMillan, e.a ). She has promoted more than 200 poets, writers, musicians and painters in England and worldwide.

She also promoted a number of Greek poets and gave readings about Greek Poetry in major English Poetry festivals.

•           Organized painting workshops for children with special needs -  Wakefield City Library, 1991.

•           Co-operated with painters ( Kathy Lancaster, Angela Bower, John Harrison, David Wright, e.a. ) for the production of sets for Greek music festivals in  Leeds, Wakefield, Manchester, York, 1991.

•           Broadcasted about Greek music and Civilization - BBC Radio Leeds and Greek Radio, Manchester; The late composer Dimitris Layios; England and the Greek Culture. 

•           Included into “INTERNATIONAL WHO IS WHO IN POETRY AND POETS”

 Encyclopedia, Cambridge Publications, England (1990-1996).

•           Her poems are published in more than 15 Greek and International Poetry Anthologies, 1982 – 2016.

•           Organized numerous Poetry readings and presented books in Athens.

•           She raises awareness about the return of the Parthenon sculptures and also for the return to Greece of “the Classic Olympic Games“. 

•           Co-operation with Indian Universities and colleges to organize  workshops

 about ancient Greek Poetry. She will co-author a book, to be published in India, in English, about ancient Greek Poetry.

She will participate in an International Indian Poetry festival in 2017.

•           Her poems have been translated into Italian, Albanian, and Hindi. A Serbian translation is on the way.

•           She is asked to participate in International Poetry Festivals and co-operates with Poetry Associations worldwide.

•           She is member and Admin for Poetry societies abroad.