{"id":10868,"date":"2014-11-23T12:20:21","date_gmt":"2014-11-23T17:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/why-should-you-know-about-c-p-cavafy\/"},"modified":"2014-11-23T12:20:21","modified_gmt":"2014-11-23T17:20:21","slug":"why-should-you-know-about-c-p-cavafy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/why-should-you-know-about-c-p-cavafy\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy?<\/b>
\n\"2014-11-21-Tattoo2.png\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\nWhy Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy?<\/p>\n

I have a tattoo stretched across my collarbone that reads “So Much I Gazed Upon Beauty – My Vision Is Alive With It.” Now, this may seem a bit extreme in support of a dead poet but maybe you are not familiar with Constantine P. Cavafy. The translations of his words, which I have only understood in translation so therefore can also be described as modern day gossip, are timeless. It is rare that I run into someone that reads my script and identifies the author but more often they have a look of surprise or discomfort when I say “and I am looking at you.” This poet deserves more than a permanent advertisement on skin and reading through his archive with a consideration to the timeframe will make the most current trailblazer feel adequate. <\/p>\n

Constantine’s work echoed a life bouncing around Europe as a gay<\/a> man<\/a> in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Growing up from Egypt to England but maintaining his Greek heritage, Cavafy was selective if not secretive in his publications. His political phrases have been considered the greatest musings of the early 20th century but his poems of love have also resonated. I was given his words by my Italian professor in college. Gianfranco knew something that I did not; these phrases would guide me in my adult life … especially in the romance department. <\/p>\n

\n“I never had you, nor will I ever have you
\nI suppose. A few words, an approach
\nas in the bar yesterday, and nothing more.
\nIt is undeniably, a pity. But we who serve Art
\nsometimes with intensity of mind, and of course only
\nfor a short while, we create pleasure
\nwhich almost seems real.”<\/p>\n

\n“I never found them again – the things so quickly lost…
\nthe poetic eyes, the pale
\nface…in the dusk of the street…<\/p>\n

I never found them again – the things acquired quite by chance,
\nthat I gave up so lightly;
\nand that later in agony I wanted.
\nThe poetic eyes, the pale face,
\nthose lips, I never found them again.”<\/p>\n

\nNow, if you are going through a break up…those might not be the best choices for taping on your bathroom mirror. Keep flipping through or clicking through the choices for some inspired pieces that reflect new love or even an acceptance of self love; the kind that makes you love your life just the way it is. <\/p>\n

\n“And if you can’t shape your life the way you want,
\nat least try as much as you can
\nnot to degrade it
\nby too much contact with the world,
\nby too much activity and talk.”<\/p>\n

\n“My life’s joy and incense: recollection of those hours
\nwhen I found and captured sensual pleasure as I wanted
\nit.
\nMy life’s joy and incense: that I refused
\nall indulgence in routine love affairs.”<\/p>\n

\nBut if you want to spark up a fire in an old relationship or cement a new one; there are so many pieces filled with lust that in a group of modest words, he creates the story and captures the emotion of strong desire. Holiday season is coming up so you may want to stop by a bookstore (do not order online lazy, defeats the purpose) and get a copy of his works or if this is really a new thing then just grab a screen shot and text it. <\/p>\n

\n“Come back often and take hold of me,
\nsensation that I love come back and take hold of me–
\nwhen the body’s memory awakens
\nand an old longing again moves into the blood,
\nwhen lips and skin remember
\nand hands feel as though they touch again.<\/p>\n

Come back often, take hold of me in the night
\nwhen lips and skin remember…”<\/p>\n

\nThis one kills me:<\/p>\n

“So much I gazed upon beauty,
\nmy vision is alive with it.<\/p>\n

Contours of the body. Red lips. Voluptuous limbs.
\nHair as if taken from greek statues;
\nalways beautiful, even when uncombed,
\nand it falls, slightly, over foreheads.
\nFaces of love, as my poetry
\nwanted them…in the nights of my youth,
\nin my nights, secretly, met…”<\/p>\n

If the holidays are too soon then you have a grace period to Valentine’s Day to explore C P Cavay’s romantic side. Pass up those obvious choices of Whitman and Dickinson for someone who really captured a rich life. You will find some easy reading that has profound meaning. Maybe a tattoo is in your future so FYI I have already called another one that’s slapped on my back:<\/p>\n

“I went –
\nI did not hold myself back.
\nI gave in completely and went.”<\/p>\n

\nREAD MORE ABOUT CP CAVAFY AT WWW.CAVAFY.COM<\/a> OR WWW.POETRYFOUNDATION.ORG<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Translations by Edmund Keeley, Philip Sherrard, and John Cavafy. A little flavor from me.<\/p>\n

www.huffingtonpost.com\/eddie-parsons\/why-should-you-know-about_b_6200362.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy? Why Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy? I have a tattoo stretched across my collarbone that reads “So Much I Gazed Upon Beauty – My Vision Is Alive With It.” Now, this may seem a bit extreme in support of a dead poet but maybe you … Continue reading Why Should You Know About C. P. Cavafy?<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Should You Know About C. P. 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