Paxos: Old Gaios and Beyond; Παξοί

Fifty years since my first visit to Paxos.

A few things haven't changed.

"Liga psaria!", Captain 'Gogos' with his small fishing- kaiki/caique ("Evangelistria", 60 years old)

A larger kaiki, "O Stamatis"

Paxiot Fisherman

Where's he gone,

The man who ate lemons,

Stood on his head, when not fishing?

View of the town and harbour, Paxos, Greece , Edward Lear

Paxos Haiku

With sixty-four churches to choose from

There's no no need

To feel all is lost

In Memoriam Popi Bogdanou-Strani (tou 'Barboula')

born 1905 (Popi is buried in Corfu).

Venetian House, Vassilatika

Now that no-one rides mules,

There's nothing to tether

To the tethering rings

From a Changing Paxos

The derelict engine
Imported from England,
Made by Petters of Yeovil,
Once powered the village olive press,
Faithfully turned
The grinding stone
Up in Manessatika.
Stamatis wants to sell it now,
His precious but rusting antique,
"From the time of Capodistrias!"

Saint Haralambos

Windmlls,
Shrines,
Bell-towers, cisterns.
Saint Haralambos
Saved them all.
He repelled the plague,
He relieved the siege.
He couldn't stop
The desecration.

The short poems are all from my book, "Corfu Blues" (Ars Interpres, 2006).

Still waiting for the fish?