Talk Poetry ## Yannis Livadas Answers Back

1. What sets your poems apart from other contemporary Greek poets?

: Poetry.

2. What are your main concerns as a poet?

: My life. My state of action. Poet is the organon of poetry therefore I must always be on the Wheel. Enjoying ever.

3. My FB friend Tim Hall an underground writer from US, whose piece from 1000th Monkey 'How To Be An Underground Lit Legend' I am translating now in Bangla, asked me a question which I want to repeat here to you...
Is there as much apathy towards outsider, unconventional or otherwise underground literature in Athens as there is here in Kolkata or USA? Is there a corporate-owned literary industry over there that controls access to serious writing and completely denies the existence of serious writers? Is there a movement against it?

: Yes, apathy there is, though I see no underground poetry here. I am also not quite a fan of it; I believe poetry must only be authentic, nothing else – it is well known that I am not interested in movements. And yes there is a “control” system in Athens, as anywhere. The only Greek literary movement I know is Mediocrity…


Three Poems Of Yannis Livadas


She's Out To Lunch


Who knows what
my dear prigs and ex-lovers
that you loved and censored
who knows what

dear families of this earth
i am standing but cannot stand anything
i study monotony

sodomize your prayers
for i love you so much

my sins are more innocent
than my good deeds

i had told you once:
Truth knows not

she's out to lunch.


Under The Hokusai Wave


God remains more powerful
Than man.
Beauty is a hidden sun
Over the clouds
Of this heavy shower that turns sour.

Perhaps we don’t need
Poems?

We quarreled for the umbrella
Under the Hokusai
Wave.


Poets Mourn For The Immortal Poem


Poets mourn for the immortal poem
And is very relative with this
Dew drop at the edge of the sparrow’s bill.

The look your breasts give me
Is pure immortality
Just like the grasp of the sparrow’s
Little feet.

The sea is words
That comes out from the mouth of the coast
And we naked liquefy future
For one more candle.


Yannis Livadas was born in Kalamata, Greece, in September 26, 1969. Done dozens of different works. He traveled around (India, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, France, Morocco...) and today he lives temporarily in Athens, Greece. He is also a scholar and translator.
In 2003 he proclaimed “the Greek jazz poet”. He is considered as a Beat offspring but his poetry is oriented toward more dexterous and unsafe forms.