Awesome news!

My one question to Stephan is this: when spelling in a demotiki graffito the better-known four-letter katharevousa form of a famous English verb that means to fecundate (and which begins with a dental labial fricative), is it proper to spell it with only three letters, or must one still use four letters ? I believe I saw it misspelled in a one-word wall poem.

- Allen

Our new moderator

Deep within the net
a dark verse lies unnoticed
he tugs, it surfaces

Hello All,

Many thanks for the warm welcome! I am looking forward to doing what I can to help keep Eratosphere the wonderful place that it is. I'm sure I'll make mistakes along the way; don't be shy in letting me know when I do. This site is an extraordinary collective effort, a college of poets, a gathering of wits, a literary salon that spans a globe. It's an honour to be asked to serve it as a moderator.

Steve C.

p.s. Allen, to take a stab at your question, while I am no authority on Greek orthography, demotic or otherwise, I suspect that the triliteral form may be preferred to the (ahem) tetragrammaton because the resemblance between the third letter of the English alphabet and the lunate sigma would seem to suggest a word rhyming with "dusk" (or more exactly, I suppose, "disk") rather than the desired O fortuna. Does that help at all?

Cally, thank you for your ku.

spring wind
the leaves strengthen
on the bough

a frog
loses colour
in deep water


LOL

Hi Jan,

I don't know how I missed these, but I just saw them now. Anyway, off the top of my head . . .

old pond:
welcome, tadpoles, to the deep end
work your tails off

Steve C.

p.s. Yes, it's not easy being green. Or wasn't. Something like that.

Stephen, in Dublin in a rush. Your observation on the usual letter fits many of my more gibbous thoughts. For reference, however, the item was spray painted on a wall near the Metro approach to Kifissia north of Athena several years ago, and was written Moon Gate style: "fok". Doubtless a copyist's error, betraying a Commonwealth tradition? Am looking forward to reading your comments on everyone's poems. I always learn something from them, every time. Good luck!

- Allen

Beaton, Chandler, and Collington. Wow. If I could handpick a personal workshop/editing team, I don't think I could do better than that. Congratulations Steve, and thanks for taking on the duties.

David R.

Callly always finds the apt phrase. (No flies on the other haiku either.)