charred tomb parked outside police station
blackened mudguard shattered tinted windscreen
hang over cliff’s edge opposite soccer stadium wall
farewell seascape of his youth
parents died without seeing their émigré son again
he served rich diners in New York saw the twin towers fall
dreamed of retirement reunited with siblings
and friends in village of his birth
at last aged pension savings farewells return
a renewed life marred with bitterness
social misunderstandings petty jealousies
inheritance squabbles preceded the final insult
onslaught of malignancy contradictory medical opinions
bereft of therapeutic options cared for by strangers
Will witnessed by friend from childhood
Look what I’ve become! Is this how man ends! he’d said
dared not reveal his plan inquisitive townsfolk
stop and stare at skeleton of his car
death notices pinned on Church hoardings
rumours abound He must have had problems. They decide

*Το ποίημα αναδημοσιεύεται από το Transnational Literature Vol. 4 no. 1, November 2011.
**Για τον πρόσφατο χαμό της ποιήτριας διαβάστε εδώ http://diasporic.org/
**Βιογραφικό σημείωμα εδώ http://diasporic.org/author/rodopoulos/