PRESENTATION
Vangelis Tassiopoulos was born in Meligalas, Messinia in 1959. He studied Pedagogy, Special Education and Greek Culture. He has specialized in the education of children with mental retardation and multiple disabilities - brain paralysis and has worked in special education schools. He published poems, essays, scientific articles, and books for children. His poems have been translated into English, Slavmacedonian, Italian, Spanish and have been included in anthologies in Greece and abroad.
He taught at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, at teacher training seminars and workshops: Literature, Poetry Teaching and Creative Writing. He is Secretary General of the Thessaloniki Authors Society.A FAIRY TALE BEFORE PHORCYNA'S ⃰DREAM
Phorcyna's God
before every dream would look at the water
and say
about the big tree
that supposedly it started from the soul
and rose up to the aspirate stress in the sky
in the winter vigils he would say
children get together blowing the conch
and opening their eyes to the oceanto see the colour of Ithaca
the highest would even remember the poet
who would confess his blood
here the crafty one awoke
here the silver of the olive-tree illuminated him
However, despite all searches God couldn't find the King
because
the King is everywhere
small and immense Nobody
lurks at midnight in Polyphemus's tear
who can't see his black body
Then a small girl would come
she would take him by the hand
can you hear the sea? She'd ask him
we must go there
you shouldn't
play with my body only at midnight
therethere dare the dreams
therewe must go
Translated by M. Byron Raizis
⁕ (Φόρκυνος δέ τίς ἐστι λιμήν, ἁλίοιο γέροντος, ἐν δήμῳ Ἰθάκης‧ (ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ, ν 96-97)(There is in the country of Ithaca the port of Phorcyna, the elder of the sea; (ODYSSEY, n 96-97)