Athonite and other Poems read in Bristol

 
At a meeting of Silver Street Poetry, Bristol, on Friday the audience heard four poems by Richard Devereux about his visit to Mount Athos and a translation of one of them in Greek by the poet Tasos Vyzantios. Richard is a student at the Greek School, Bristol, and attends the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.
 

Richard spent two weeks on the Holy Mountain last September as a member of the Friends of Mount Athos, who clear the footpaths for the benefit of other pilgrims. He will be giving a talk about this work to the Church on 16 July after the Divine Liturgy.
 
Richard’s poems have been widely published and the topics covered in the poems he read at the above event included: the serenity that can be experienced on the Holy Mountain; the need to stop, listen and look without hurrying, wondering at all Creation; winter; a challenge, in the words of a young pilgrim, to those who have not committed to a faith – what are you waiting for?
 
These poems were well received by the audience which also greatly enjoyed the reading by Tasos Vyzantios. Several people commented that they enjoyed the sound and musicality of the Greek language. Tasos’s translation of the poems Richard read at this event will be included in Tasos’ forthcoming poetry collection – his fifth one.
 
Richard also read a series of poems about his roots in the industrial area, west of Birmingham, known as the Black Country. There could be no greater contrast between these poems and his poems about the Holy Mountain.
 
Silver Street Poetry meets at 12:30 pm on the last Friday of the month in the Centrespace Gallery, Leonard Lane, Bristol BS1 1EA.