The Bandaged Shoulder

Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)



He said that he had hurt himself on a wall or that he had fallen.
But there was probably another reason
for the wounded and bandaged shoulder.

With a somewhat abrupt movement,
to bring down from a shelf some
photographs that he wanted to see closely,
the bandage was untied and a little blood ran.

I bandaged the shoulder again, and while bandaging it
I was somewhat slow; because it did not hurt,
and I liked to look at the blood. That
blood was a part of my love.

When he had left, I found in front of the chair,
a bloody rag, from the bandages,
a rag that looked in belonged in garbage;
which I brought up to my lips,
and which I held there for a long time --
the blood of love on my lips.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 24, 2023

42 sec read
104

Quick analysis:

Scheme AAX XXXX XXXX XXXBXB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 684
Words 140
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 6

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

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