Παππούς (IPA: /paˈpus/)


I didn’t’ call. One day won’t hurt,
I told myself but dreamt of you
that night: I was once again a child,
sitting on your knee laughing
with the stories you told.
Hunting in the mountains with your dog Basil.

Anna vasilissa pan ta karavia sou sti Kriti polemoun ta palikaria sou.

The next morning they called.
He is in a deep sleep, they said.
No one knew when the sun
would rise for you,
when the long night would end.
And I was a world away.

Anna vasalassa pan ta karava sa sta Krata palaman ta palakara sa.

A week passed and they called.
They told me you went away
in your sleep, with no one
to tell you hunting stories.
And I was a world away from your bedside.

Anne veselesse pen te kereve se ste Krete pelemen te pelekere se.

And now I dream of dogs
and mountain stories
that you told a thousand times
and I long to hear
a thousand-and-one and more.
But you are a world away.

Inni visilissi pin ti kirivi si sti Kriti pilimin ti pilikiri si.

And I can’t call.

Onno vosolosso pon to korovo so sto Kroto polomon to polokoro so.

                                                                                                                                        Παππού, μου λείπεις.

Born in Cyprus in 1997, Eleni grew up being surrounded with stories of goddesses risen from seafoam and wars waged to reclaim stolen queens. Stories always fascinated her and very soon after she too, tried her hand in creating them. Telling stories is in her blood and she loves crafting worlds and exploring emotions and senses through them. She completed her BA in English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Reading and is currently refining her art with an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Surrey.