Calliope Rises: Poetry with Katie Aliferis

Katie Aliferis evokes the spirit of Calliope, the muse of poetry, in her true form with beauty, elegance and powerful words woven together to entice emotions of longing and the courage of the most courageous warrior.

A poet in San Francisco, Aliferis is inspired by the spirits of the ancients and her Greek heritage. Her ancestors came to America in the early 1900s from the small seaside village of Areopolis, named for Ares, the god of war. From the earliest time, her grandmother or Yiayia, shared the tales of an immigrant family starting new, her love for the land and sea of their origins, while at the same remembering the spirit of home, in the heart.

Poetry opens the soul to see the path forward, to overcome challenges and find one’s true path. Katie Aliferis is a passionate and valiant poet who dares to shine brilliantly the path forward infused with the wisdom of the elders.

Ancient Ruins

Crumbling stones and wispy sand

Gray and beige monuments crowning the earth

Reaching toward the gods in the sky

Praising their good deeds and merciful ways

History resides in these walls

Democracy was born on these floors

Philosophy was considered in these rooms

Freedom was conjured in these halls

Precious and priceless

Timeless and treasured

Mystical and magical

These ancient ruins.

* * *

Soul Search

Gray crags, the dragon’s teeth

Line the path to hell

Frozen and on fire, the

Cradle of my civilization.

* * *

Imprison Me Not

Imprison me not

Listen as the goat bells clang

The church bells beckon

And the warning bells cry

Rooted deep in the land

See me grow as the olive tree

Reaching toward the glorious sun

Calling on the gods of old

Imprison me not

Preserve my sister’s innocence

Preserve my mama’s orchard

Preserve my papa’s taverna

Boiling deep in my heart

An anger awaits you

Promising you will not see another day

Unwilling to surrender to your threats

Imprison me not

Standing tall and proud

Weapons drawn and ready

My home, this is, and never yours.

* * *

Calliope is proud. Her daughter writes with beauty, passion and courage that makes all of the muses sing with praise. Visit her web site http://KatieAliferis.com or follow her on @KatieA_SF.

By Keri Douglas, writer/photographer, Washington, D.C. (Please follow 9 Muses News copyright use policy.)