RESPONSIBILITY
You traveled through life alone.
You made mistakes in your unruly youth.
Your childhood dreams appear timidly.
Coral moments, forgotten.
You honored your ideals.
You fought as bravely as you could.
A rebel in a petty-bourgeois prison.
But the rose-fingered dawn rises elsewhere.
You abandon your desires with heartbreak.
Your wounds set up a monologue that is boring and persistent.
Fraud brags with impudence.
Ignore the burden of guilt.
With courage, welcome your responsibility.
It won you with undivided effort.
You do not give in even now,
that you are left alone with yourself.
You now feel gained and free.
Efi Chantzouli (6.07.2026)
ΖΩΗ
Ποτέ να μη σ΄ απογοητεύσει ο εαυτό σου,
έχεις δικαίωμα στο λάθος όσο ζεις.
Του αξίζει ειλικρινή συγχώρεση ατόφια
απ΄ τη δική σου την καρδιά, όχι απ΄ τους άλλους.
Μη φοβηθείς την πίκρα της καταστροφής.
Μονάχα σα χαλαστείς θα προχωρήσεις παραπέρα.
Χρειάζεται η καρδιά σου να ραγίσει οριστικά,
αν θέλεις νέους δρόμους έρωτα να βαδίσεις.
Μάθε να χαμογελάς με το μυαλό σου αφειδώς,
καθώς αναζητάς τις άπειρες αλήθειες της ζωής.
Μα μην ξεχνάς πως για να ξαναγεννηθείς,
πρέπει πάντα εκτίμηση να τρέφεις για εκείνη.
‘ Εφη Χαντζούλη (6.07.2026)
*****
ΠΑΤΡΙΔΑ ΜΟΥ
Δε με συγκινεί η κοιλάδα του Λίγηρα,
ανάμνηση ισχυρή, δυνατών βασιλέων.
Μα και οι κήποι Σαλιμάρ της Λαχώρης
μου είναι στ΄ αλήθεια παντελώς αδιάφοροι.
Η Λιμνοθάλασσα της Βενετίας γοητευτική,
όμως το όνειρο που ψάχνω να βρω δεν το είδα.
΄Οσο για τους χρωματιστούς κήπους του Λεσουτάγκ
δε χάρισαν ανακούφιση στη δική μου ψυχή.
Ούτε στις όχθες του περιβόητου Δούναβη
απάλυνα την ανησυχία μου για γαλήνη.
Εγώ λαχταρώ μοναχά τη θάλασσα της πατρίδας μου,
όταν βυθίζω τη σκέψη μου μεσοπέλαγα
αναζητώντας δροσιά στις ατελεύτητες έγνοιες μου.
Η αύρα της ξεδιαλύνει τις ομίχλες μου,
προσφέροντάς μου ελπίδα να προσδοκώ τα ωραία.
΄ΕφηΧαντζούλη (6.07.2026)
Efi
Chantzouli. Born in Athens.. She studied journalism. She is
a graduate of the Postgraduate Department of International, European and
Economic Studies of the Athens University of Economics and Business. She
studied Acting. She taught in secondary education tutoring centers. She worked
as Head of Statistical Information at the Hellenic Statistical Authority. As a
journalist, she wrote interviews with actors and singers in various magazines.
She maintained a column in the newspaper “METROPOLIS” with the title “That's
what Efi said”.
She is
professionally involved in acting. Indicative theatrical performancesthat she
played: "The Temptation" by Xenopoulos,"About
Love""The Secret Path’’,"The Trial of Socrates","The
Swan Song","The House of Bernarda Alba" by
F. G. Lorca,"Faust" by Goethe, "As You Like
Me" by L. Pirandello,"The Merry Wives of Windsor" by
Shakespeare,"The High Mountains" by Z. Papantoniou,"The
Rape of Lucretia" by Shakespeareet al. She acted on television in
the serials: “Hair” directed by A. Rigas, “Oath II”
and “Archelaou 5”.
She has
published two poetry collections: “Bittersweet notes” and “Journey
of emotions” and three
children's fairy tales: “Lessons in the Forest”,“The Candy island”
and “Thomoulis”. She has participated in poetry anthologies such
as: "Philological New Year", "Summer wanderings",
"The Red of Love", etc. She was honored with the
Special Poetry and Children's Book Award from the Greek Writers' Union in 2018.
In 2024, her second poetry collection "Journey of emotions"
was awarded by the International Writers' Society. She was honored in 2025 with
the award "Panorama International Literature & Art Awards"
for her theatrical and literary work.
