Theodora Koufopoulou

Mrs. Theodora Koufopoulou – Heliopoulou was born in Spathari, a small village of Arcadia.  Her parents were Manolis Koufopoulos and Helen Vergetis. She attended the elementary school in her village and the secondary education in Athens. She worked as a civil servant in the “Foundation of Social Securities”. From her youth, Theodora envisages and struggles for a beautiful, happy and a better world.

Her poems are in Anthologies, have been published in magazines and newspapers, they have been translated into English, French, Italian and Chinese and have won prizes in national and international poetry competitions. She participated in Symposiums of Poetry and in music – poetical evenings.

She is a member of the “Union of Greek Writers”, of the “International Society of Greek Writers and Artists”, of  the “World Poets Society” and

of the “Union of Historical Writers”. She is a member of administrative council of local – cultural societies. She was member in panels of poetry competitions.

She has published four poetry  collections: “Dewdrops”, “Life, I sing you”, “In my soul’s garden”, “Sweet scents of thoughts” and two folklore’s books: “Spathari, a nostalgic trip” and “Agia Kyriaki, our settlement”.

E-mail: jimil@otenet.gr

Selected poems by Theodora Koufopoulou – Heliopoulou:

           TALISMAN

                            And if you caress

doesn’t wipe my tear.

And if your kiss

doesn’t cure my wounds.

And if you are absent

from my joy,

you are my comfort

in my sadness.

Your image in light

is pilgrimage and my talisman,

Mother.

The cloudy weather 

can’t fade the Sun.

BEAMS OF LIGHT

We are beams of light.

Come to be

the huge Sun

of Humanity.

All of us,

we are accountable

for  its beauty.

         PEACE’S CALL

Plains are thirsty for water.

War  is thirsty

for human souls.

And the Earth is thirsty

for you, PEACE.

In our call

don’t say “NO”.

We ’ll  spread palm leaves

when you’ll come.

It’s necessary to come, my far-shining.

TIMELESS

Wash your “ego”.

Dress yourself the magnificence.

Be the joy of the bitter,

the support of the helpless.

Lash out the unjust.

Let a child beat you.

Stay yourself a child.

So, you beat the wear.

    YOUR SCENT

The house filled

with your absence.

Flooded is the thought.

And the Poet spread

petals of rose

on the paper.

Immortal to remain

your scent.

Theodora Koufopoulou – Heliopoulou

     Agia Kyriaki,  Rafina, Attica

English translation by Zacharoula Gaitanaki.