Ray Greenblatt | Mediterranean Poetry

Ray Greenblatt has lived in New England, the West Indies, and along the Eastern Shore. He has written short stories, essays, and poetry which have been published across the U.S. in periodicals as diverse as America, English Journal, and Joseph Conrad Today.

He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and won the Anthony Byrne Prize. He was also the editor of the magazine General Eclectic. A teacher for many years Ray Greenblatt has taught writing in the Philadelphia Writers Conference as well as spoken at the John Steinbeck Festival in Salinas, California.

SOUTHERN FRENCH TOWN

The hammering continues
through the warm summer day
of almond trees and olive groves,
they are hanging posters
for the farm market or circus
or theater season . . .
          in the shadow of the cathedral
          like a mountain in
          the middle of town . . .
people go around
and go about their business,
their life on the streets
or adjacent farmlands . . .
separate from the rare moments
on knees in ancient pews

in another world they have constructed,
a transcendental world . . .

SUNRISE OVER THE AEGEAN

Across the deep-set casement
blinds cast shadow of
ladder climbing the wall
as the morning ages,
of whatnot shifting
to hold each nook and niche
turns the hanging ikon to gold;
sun falls on grapes in clay pot
olives in copper bowl
wedge of feta on table,
where a white cloth changes
to snow in intense light;
soon we will sit on rush chairs
at table and sip slowly
thick Turkish coffee
discussing what the day will be.

For other contributions by Ray Greenblatt, please follow the links below: