Alchemist of Sorrows
By Alex S. Johnson
For Cassandra Alogoskoufi
After Baudelaire
“As the Orpheus of all secret misery, he is greater than anyone:”-Friedrich Nietzsche, Die fröhliche Wissenschaft
Standing in the moon drop shadow’s hidden alcove
Watching the spiders of the rain disintegrate and turn to smoke
I admire the solemn procession of marble angels that sweep their
brooms diagonally across the looking glass
Involuted architecture, frost giants with the glazed eyes of
Galactic law
The fatal symmetry of a rainbow cutter ship
Odysseus’ swift fleet notwithstanding
In Circe’s lair he pollinated witch nations
In the eye of Polyphemus he discovered the glyphs of demonic altars
Cave paintings of the Orphic mystery rites
Bacchus torn apart and recreated
as a stand-alone objet d’art, his head crowned with an
aurora of violence, misty violet dawns from
Arthur Rimbaud
As the rotting Leviathan drifts in star sperm
As the empire of blood-crusted widows draws eyes in the
moon’s shy footprint
As the bleeding deer shudders in split-second Cubist increments but obeys the high ritual of Diana and does not die
Not yet
Not eternally yet
Our hearts draw oxygen from the secret sails of the sun
We respire with lungs made from the winds of the
wings of
Madness
We fly to a Hell sitting balanced on a small planet juggled along
with stars
with rippled stripes of radical freedom
with what queer jesters they have to do
With black-eyed Oedipus they seek the cause
they disregard the Sphinx’s leonine muscles, glistening
pelt that roars with lies
that fools crash, the Siren’s cove where sailors drown
the fortunes of heroes shorn like the head of Orpheus
Descending beneath the earth, as the jaws of destiny
close about him…
An alchemist of sorrow, he turns the Midas touch
against itself, mourning perpetual dawns.
και εμπνευσμένου μετά του Μπωντλέρ
“As the Orpheus of all secret misery,
he is greater than anyone:”-
Friedrich Nietzsche, Die fröhliche Wissenschaft
Στέκεται ως σταγόνα φεγγαριού
Κόντρα στον κρυφό σηκό σκιάς.
τις αράχνες εγκαθορεί, όπως διασπώνται
στην καπνισμένη ομίχλη της βροχής.
Αποθαυμάζει την πανηγυρική λιτανεία
μαρμάρινων αγγέλων που παρασύρουν
ανάποδα τον κόσμο σκουπίζοντας
διαγώνια το είδωλο καθρέπτη.
Πεπλεγμένη αρχιτεκτονική από γίγαντες
παγετώνες με στιλβωμένο βλέμμα
Καταπάνω στο γαλακτικό μάτι του νόμου.
Η μοιραία συμμετρία στο ουράνιο τόξο
παγοθραυστικού, αλματώδης πάραυτα
και γοργόπλοος ο στόλος τ’ Οδυσσέα.
Τ’ άνθη επικονίασε με έθνη μαγισσών
μες απ’ τη δόκιμο φωλιά της Κίρκης
Στον μονόφθαλμο Πολύφημο ανακάλυψε το
μάτι και τη γλυφή ενός βωμού κακοδαίμονος.
Οι σπηλαιογραφίες τελετουργούν ακόμα
τα Ορφικά Μυστήρια, το ξέσκισμα
του διαμελισμένου Βάκχου, και την
επανένωση του κορμιού εις σάρκα μία
Ως ένα αυτεξούσιο έργο τέχνης, το
κεφάλι του εστεφανώθη την κορώνη
Από την εωθινή Ηώ της βίας,
Απ’ τη μενεξελί πορφύρα της αυγής
Απ’ το λυκόφως του Αρθούρου Ρεμπώ,
Όπως το κουφάρι του Λεβιάθαν σάπιο
παρασύρεται στ’ αγγειόσπερμα αστεριών
Όπως μια αυτοκρατορία μαυροφορεμένων
που πήζουν τον θρόμβο παλαιών πληγών
θωρώντας τα τρυφερά χνάρια στα φεγγάρια
Όπως το πληγωμένο ελάφι τρέμει από τις
αιρετικές προσαυξήσεις των μετακυβιστών
Όμως, υπάκουο υπομένει στη μέγα τελετή μύησης
-τη Θεά Αρτέμη- σώνοντας εν τέλει τη ζωή του
Όχι. ακόμα. Όχι. στην αιωνιότητα του ακόμα.
Οι καρδιές μας αντλούν οξυγόνο απ’ τα
αφανέρωτα ιστία του μυστικού ήλιου
Αναπνέουμε με πνεύμονες φτιαγμένους
απ’ τους ασκούς του Αιόλου με τα φτερά
μας κόντρα στον κουρνιαχτό της τρέλας
Πετάμε στην άβυσσο της κόλασης καθιστοί
σε ισορροπία πάνω σ’ έναν μικρό πλανήτη,
Ταχυδακτυλουργώντας με κρίκους αστεριών.
με ριγέ κυματισμούς ριζοσπαστικής ελευθερίας
για την κατάντια του ετεροδιαφορετικού ζογκλέρ
για την αιτία στα μαυρισμένα μάτια του Οιδίποδα
Γιατί οι ανόητοι αγνοούν τα λιονταρίσια μούσκουλα
της Σφίγγας, που με αστραφτερή δορά ψεύτικα βρυχάται
Καθώς, συντρίβονται οι μωροί, στον όρμο της Σειρήνας
Πνίγονται, εκεί, οι ναυτικοί με την κοντοκουρεμένη
ειμαρμένη των ηρώων, σαν το κεφάλι του Ορφέα
που σκύβει κατεβαίνοντας στον Κάτω Κόσμο, τα
σαγόνια του πεπρωμένου συνθλίβονται σιμά του
Ο Αλχημιστής της θλίψης, αποστρέφει το
άγγιγμα του Μίδα ενάντια στον εαυτό του,
εις το διηνεκές θρηνεί για τη χαραυγή του…
Cassandra Alogoskoufi is a distinguished Greek artist whose extensive talents span writing, poetry, playwriting, and visual arts. Born in Athens, she currently resides on the picturesque island of Salamis while working as a shipyard clerk in the nearby area of Perama. Cassandra’s academic credentials include two notable degrees: one in Informatics and Telecommunications from the Kapodistrian University of Athens, earned in 2009, and another in International and European Studies from Piraeus University, completed in 2023. This academic background provides her with a unique intersection of technical and cultural knowledge, enriching her artistic endeavors.
Her creative output is broad and multifaceted. She has actively contributed to approximately 50 anthologies, showcasing her poetry, short stories, and prose across a diverse array of themes and stylistic approaches. Her literary work is characterized by magical realism and a deep exploration of narratives that bridge reality and imagination. Cassandra’s poetic voice captures emotions and human experiences with eloquence and originality, while her prose adds layers of complexity and nuance.
Beyond writing, Cassandra is a skilled visual artist, working primarily with acrylic painting and other mediums. Her artworks have been featured in various magazines, reflecting her ability to convey narratives and emotions visually as well as through words. Cassandra’s talent has received international recognition; she represented Greece at the BJCEM Biennial of Young Creators in 2009, a prestigious festival that unites artists from 27 countries working across seven artistic disciplines.
Her artistic development has been nurtured through significant scholarships and residency grants. She was awarded a two-year scholarship from the Institution of Takis Sinopoulos (2007–2009), a Cimo scholarship from Finland in 2009, and a residential scholarship at the Literature House of Paros, known for its European Center of Literary Translation. Cassandra has also apprenticed under numerous respected mentors in literature, theater, translation, and dance, shaping her versatile artistic identity.
Living with her family and a pet parrot named Tito, Cassandra continues to balance her professional work with a vibrant creative life. Her artistic journey is marked by continual growth, cross-disciplinary engagement, and contributions that resonate within and beyond Greek cultural spheres. Her work not only enriches contemporary Greek literature and art but also leaves a lasting impression as an innovative and dedicated creator.
Alex S. Johnson is a prolific American author and multidisciplinary artist whose creative legacy spans genres including Bizarro fiction, erotica, horror, and science fiction. At 57 years old, Johnson has amassed a diverse professional background encompassing roles as a college English instructor, music journalist, editor, publisher, songwriter, human rights activist, poet, and visual artist. He resides in Sacramento, California, carrying a rich blend of cultural experiences and artistic influences.
Johnson’s educational foundation includes a Master’s degree in English literature with an emphasis on Rhetoric and Composition. His early fascination with writing began in elementary school, where he initially crafted stories about anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables. His literary tastes and writing style are heavily influenced by icons such as William S. Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson, blending intense, hyperbolic narratives with layers of showmanship and cheekiness.
His bibliography includes novels such as “Bad Sunset,” a stylized Spaghetti Western infused with Bizarro and splatterpunk elements, and “Jason X IV: Death Moon,” a science fiction/horror tie-in for the Jason X movie series. Johnson’s collections like “Wicked Candy” and “Doctor Flesh: Director’s Cut” further showcase his unique approach to genre fiction. He also edited anthologies like “Axes of Evil,” which centers on horror stories connected to heavy metal music culture.
Johnson’s writing often explores profound human emotions and psychological depth beneath exaggerated or surreal premises. For example, “Bad Sunset” features Jesus Christ as a protagonist, blending archetypal and mythical characters to probe themes of spirituality, skepticism, and individual moral navigation. His works balance entertainment with philosophical undercurrents, reflecting his skepticism of religious institutions and emphasis on personal enlightenment.
Actively involved in the literary community, Johnson has contributed to specialty anthologies inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and William S. Burroughs and maintains an ongoing presence in both writing and editing within speculative fiction circles. Apart from writing, he enjoys drawing, playing guitar, and engaging with film and music cultures, which inform his artistic creativity. Johnson’s career is grounded in a love for words and storytelling more than commercial success, emphasizing a lifelong commitment to artistic exploration and sharing imaginative landscapes.