ARJAN KALLCO

 

Columns

 

Greyish columns

stately

enduring through time.

Their wrinkles have not changed

Still present as before

And yet broader,

Nobler.

Wisdom is shut

In between their dull walls

That try to withstand,

It struggles not to remain silent.

Slowly I walk in front of them

With the respect of standing

before saints:

Zealous masters

carved amongst disciples,

silent figures within centuries.

Very well I know it,

the fertile seed was planted.

 

 

In Athens

 

Your divine soul

a desert mirage

chases me everywhere

in the numerous streets of Athens.

Attempting to see it,

Suddenly goes away.

Plays a hide-and-seek game

Of blinding visions.

Up there, between the columns

of the Acropolis

wanders in the house of gods.

At times Aphrodite,

Diana at times.

Your fate is written:

Always on the wing

from the ancient past

to the present we are in.

 

The Same Café

 

I came again to drink coffee

To this simple bar

Without twinkling luxuries

When once dry the thirst

In scorching summer heat.

I came to drink a glass

With my friends once

Very best, very wise,

Although less gray.

Years slowly depress meetings

With no hustle goodbye.

Silenthy one by one

With no return ticket

They have taken the long road.

There is nothing else here inside

Except sweet memory

In the endless

Glasses to roll

With great longing that dried us.

 

ARJAN KALLCO

 

ARJAN KALLCO: Poet, prose writer, translator, scholar, journalist, comes with several books of poetry, then some others in prose and translations from Italian to Albanian and vice versa. He has translated: Italian Proverbs Italian Love poems short stories of Italian writers in the '80s The good old man and the beautiful girl (a novel). Sailing on waves (The Anthology of the Italian Contemporary poets) as well as lots of Italian poetries published in newspapers, magazines and different websites. He is the author of some books of poetry such as: Bewildered by your Immensity (poem written during his stay in Greece). Real life images (poems written in Italy). Flying in time (poems written during a trip in several European countries) A bilingual version (Albanian - Greek, Italian - Greek) of his first book of poetry. Bewildered by your Immensity. He is the author of two books with short stories. Quikly broken dreams Sparkles through the clouds. In 2014 he comes with his first book of Haiku (poetry): Rays of Aureoles In 2016 he published two books of Haiku one  in italian language: 1. Dancing of the leaves ( Original title "La danze delle foglie") 2. Longing of poetry. He regularly takes part in different contests in Europe such as Italy, Albania, Kosovo, Greece and America as well and his poems are published in the respective anthologies. He is  a bilingual writer in both prose and poetry and has won several prizes in different contests and events. On January 2014, in the Italian Headquarters of European Parliament, he won the prize " One poet for Europe". Festival of Struga, July 2014. First prize in Ulcinj, November 2014. Second prize in Ulcinj, November 2015. Third prize in Italy, video poetry 2015. Various prizes in literary events in Albania. Salamina, Greece, Gold prize, Great Alexander, October 2016. Excellent prize in Italy, 2019. Career prize in Italy, 2019