Lerian poets

Dimitris Tsaloumas

Dimitris Tsaloumas was born on Leros in the Dodecanese group of islands. Where he grew up during the time of the Italian occupation. Alter the war, for political reasons, Tsaloumas came to Australia.

 Dimitris Tsaloumas won the 1983 National Book Council Award for Australian Literature with The Observatory.

MORNING LULLABY FOR A SICK CHILD

Don’t stare at me in my stillness                                                      

hunched in this chair

silent. Don’t imagine

that I don’t care, my child.

Because your complaint persists

like a hungry bird

pecking at my rusty roof

and my rage is terrible,

I’ll get up one day and shout

on God’s doorstep,

rouse the neighbourhood of angels,

demand to be let in

so I can plead your cause

and mine. You’ll see.

You ’ll see me squash that spider

that lurks on the windows of night

so the air hides in fright

and children ’s lungs rattle

like the slit throats of beasts.

But sleep now that night has gone

and dawn is putting every star to sleep

in its fold.

....................................................

Then one morning                                

one Sunday morning

I’ll fling wide the windows

and my brother the seagull will appear

soaring gleaming white

up from the headland’s wash

amid the sky-blue banners

and the bright trumpets of the sun

that thrust into the roofs of houses

creaks and croaks

and unheard-of rustlings.

And then, my child,

we’ll toss our caps into the air,

throw off our shoes,

and before you can say ‘Amen’

we’ll race down the gullies to the beach

and all God’s holy day

we’ll play together

just as all children play.

(OBSERVATIONS OF A HYPOCHONDRIAC)