Cavafy |n kedondo

Cur rulns run back Lo memory

sLucco palaces pleasure bungalows honeycomb
of Lhe beachcombers' clusLer of renLals
l remember Lhem flllngs ln sand
prlcklng up aL Lhe magneL of nosLalgla
a slghL of dusLy fllamenLs Cur rulns
wear Lhe asyeLunrulned llke coral crowns
nlghL llfe blows Lhrough Lhe boardwalk's
conchshell colls of neon sklrLlng Lhe waLer
1hls was neverask my parenLsa greaL clLy
lL had lLs charms llke a clear Lldal shallows
sllLed ln now poldered subsLanLlal solld
seL for Lhe [ellylng quake everyone expecLs

l walked Lhe sLreeLs one nlghL wlLh a new lover
an asyeLLobe lover lL Look a whole nlghL
of persuaslon l had been gone a year
and walked as sea mlsL compounded Lo dew
My legs ached by Lhe Llme bed was agreed Lo
Pow senLlmenLal lL was Lo flaLLer llsLen
ca[ole make llLLle whlnlng endearmenLs
ploddlng rlLuallsLlcally among landmarks
sandy shrlnes ln alleys Lhe black meccas
of plaLeglass wlndows fronLlng Lhe beach
where whlLe froLh reflecLed ln Lhe nlghL
l kepL LhaL ache noL love's afLer we parLed

We dld noL parL Lo hlsLory wlLh lLs glosses
we were noL even fooLnoLes Cur rulns
wlll bear ouL no eplcs or hlsLorles here
fooLprlnLs compounded of dew and fog
and under Lhem maybe a rusLy anLlque
LhaL bolled ln aclds wlll Lell a Lale

AfLer all shlps passed broke up on Lhe polnL
Malnly Lhe beach eroded ln greaL rldges
unLll ground cover belLed lL back A pleasure domed
was dlsmanLle cerLaln fashlons
of dress and of love PlsLory bullds Lo lasL
crumbles Lo lasL shakes off lLs dusL
under Lhe dellcaLe excavaLlng brushLo lasL

8ulld above Lhe beach was a colossus
humped and sLruLLed and roarlng wlLh many volces
Wlnds chased Lhrough lL screechlng and Lhen
lL sLood sllenL eople flocked Lo lL enLered lL
and Lhough noL losL screamed as lf LorLured
l am [oklng 1here was a roller coasLer
of some noLe and no small slze Where dld lL go?
Ah yes losL ln Lhe coral makeup
of LhaL LeeLerlng lover who walked beslde me
Llred of my harangue Lhe persuaslve underlove
LhaL wanLed Lo rlse Lo Lhe llps Lhose llps
colored by fumlng sLreeL lamps

?oung my parenLs drove ouL from a dlsLanL clLy
Lhrough Lawny hllls medallloned wlLh oak
l have seen Lhelr paLlned posLcards of Lhe Lown
a Llde pool of nelghborhoods manLled around
by semlwllderness and orange groves
Mlsslles came Lo squaL above our house
on a benchmarked hlll Lurned obsoleLe
and floaLed away on flaLbeds rupLured paLlos ln Lhelr places
We Loo lefL LhaL house LhaL heard
ln every laLh and wlndowpane Lhe lndusLry of phosphorus
grlndlng ouL Lhe waves ln Lhe laLe darkness
My parenLsall of ushave come and gone and lefL
no ghosLs here and LhaL ls our good forLune
Lo glve lL all Lo Lhe ocean Lhe Lrouble sleeper

Mark !arman
1be New otket (May 2 1983)