THIS IS MY BODY

I will take a knife to scrape from my body the pain.

Then I will cover myself with paint.
Golden for the face. For the Sun.
For all the days it didn’t shine on me...

And a little green and yellow and red for the hands
...that withered,
like the Flowers I never picked on May Day.

With blue watercolors I will paint the legs,
for the two years I haven’t been to the island.
To the Sea. To My Sea.
That all my summers have been waiting for.

Black clay for the back,
sweet clay from Pikrolimni’s* bitter lake.

I won’t paint the belly.
I always loved its color. And its texture.
Soft.
Like a sweet memory. Like Mom.

I will put pink for the breasts.
And I will paint two balloons.
One will fit only me
and the other the whole world!
Along with me.

And a little melted chocolate on the lips... in the end.
To remind me that life is sweet.
There are still times that I forget...

Then with the knife shavings I will make bread.

Take... eat... for this is my body.