PANAGIOTA P. LAMPRI

 

 

Time

 

Time, a child playing with pawns;

His kingdom alone, declared the wise!

With these few words he is described,

and now mankind knows full well

that whatever they do, he governs,

and unceasingly rules it all beyond their sight.

 

Time, the formless progenitor of all;

He creates, topples, destroys, renews,

again and again, cycling countless millennia,

and mortals, fleeting and ephemeral,

are both creators and merciless destroyers,

hopeful renovators of the universe.

 

Time flows like crystal-clear, purifying water,

carrying with it deeds both profane and wondrous,

bearing sorrows, laments, and joys,

and the brief span of mortal life:

sometimes adorning it with glory and statues that shine,

sometimes plunging it into the darkness of the abyss.

 

Time gallops, rider of the diamond chariot of the Sun,

with Necessity ever at his side,

before whose might even immortal gods bow.

Mortals dazzle them with ambitious deeds,

yet they know, as first among all, that all is Time’s spoils,

for he, a child at play, casts his dice as he wills.

 

Hail, Time, who knows all and proclaims it,

even when none ever asks.

Hail, Time, sovereign ruler of life,

creator and destroyer of the cosmic world.

 

The Musts And The Must-Nots

 

Moments you squandered thoughtlessly

amid a multitude of musts and must-nots,

do not expect, now that life is drawing to its close,

to make amends for every such choice.

Only, if you can, seek out with care

a few of the withered flowers of youth,

and savor them — but do not hasten at all;

for many were denied by musts and must-nots.

Look bravely into the mirror of your soul

and behold the images of desires faintly aglow;

and while you still dwell in the world of the living,

cast light upon them, breathe life into them, and live!

 

PANAGIOTA P. LAMPRI

 

PANAGIOTA P. LAMPRI was born in Rodavgi, Arta, Greece. She graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and taught in secondary education. She writes articles and publishes book reviews, short stories, scholarly essays, travel writing, and poetry. Her works have been translated and published in 33 languages. She has received literary awards and distinctions, including the Naji Naaman Literary Prize (Creativity Prize) (2026), and was named an Honorary Member of Maison Naaman pour la Culture (MNAC). She also contributes to Greek and international literary magazines and newspapers.