Book #23

Remember, Body... by C.P. Cavafy

A collection of nostalgic, erotic poetry from one of the greatest Greek poets to have ever lived. 

Wow.

I have a somewhat mild dislike of poetry, but Cavafy has completely claimed me with this edition. The verses are so powerful and lamentful; speaking of lost love, the poet is entirely unable to let go of that which he once had, and the words mourn the loss of his beautiful paramour and detail his memory of him.

There's a real rawness to the poems, an ache. The forbidden love Cavafy relates is only too real, not to mention the obsession.

As always with collections like these, some were better than others. I found Candles, The Tobacconist's Window, and The Mirror in the Entrance Hall to be particularly powerful. Others didn't speak to me quite so much, and their similarity allowed for a slight feeling of them blending into one another.

This is a wonderful collection of poetry, and one I'm sure I'll go back to again.