Helen Dimos

My name is Alexandros. I shall speak of three things I swore never to speak but as the time is urgent I will invoke my right to free speech within a democracy and speak. I was raised by my mother and grandmother. My father was going from jail to jail I won’t say much about that figure as I don’t want to lay blame and anyway I know him very little. My mother worked three jobs. I started work from 15. From high school and then for college it was night school first my day-job then school then pizza-delivery 10-2. I worked like a slave to open a small shop to pay off the debts. By my 30s I had made enough to support myself somewhat well and give back something to my own people. Now we have this vote. Now they tell me a vote NO will take me back to the beginning to the drachma will undo all I have slaved for will take me back to insecurity. They tell me NO will take the whole country back out of Europe will undo our way of life our businesses our families our future. I understand. So I will give them a big fat NO on Sunday. I will send my NO on a slip of paper to the head of the European Central Bank. NO for fear NO for insecurity NO for keeping our heads bowed down. I have never feared work I will work again from scratch and build it all over from the start and then again and then again and then again.

July 2015 Athens



All the pieces are in place. The pieces of two humans with factory-worker-dresses modern-day support pillars the hair in buns the fishnets over faces

This isn’t a pretty building

Behind both women the outlines of humans and words in chalk
In the middle of the room a table
A mannequin hangs from the ceiling

The music begins and it is stressing. The women begin and they are stressing they move along the floor with hands and feet they scamper somewhat furiously like dogs somewhat curiously they are driven. They come together move apart. They begin frenetic gymnastics. The one makes a table-top the other makes a tumble lands hands down feet in a handstand against her pillar. The other goes to her pillar makes a handstand. They recite. THE POLITICAL BODY IS UPSIDE DOWN WITH ITS HEAD DOWN. IT MUST BE TURNED RIGHT SIDE UP. They land on their feet.

A third women like a Chorus of one she said we will experience ANATOMIZING THE MUNDANE

They land on their feet. They seat each other down. They are seated. They have wine. They prepare bread. They knead dough somewhat furiously they eat raw dough the flour makes motes. To drink they blow the wine into each other sometimes they choke.

The third woman like a Chorus of one she walks around the room. WINE? COOKIES?

Now it is time to have sex.

No. Now it is time to eat and rub raw meat. Butcher’s meat and offal in pink like the inside of your mouth and dark liver brown like old meat they rub it on each others arms chest the flat part the plain of the chest. They make earrings of hooks of meat they stuff it down their dresses.

Then they have sex. One woman she throws herself along the table
The wine spills her dress is mottled
One woman she tumbles along the floor
The wine spills her dress is mottled
One woman she comes up behind
The wine spills her dress is mottled

As they have sex there is video of a human on the toilet taking a shit but also another human crouching and they take wine through the plastic tube together

Now it is time to be cannibal to make throw up to be brave white men suicidal in the light. They unhang the mannequin. They bring her to the dining they halve her it is torso and legs. They take off arms. There is meat the meat goes in there is dough the dough goes in in her torso in her holes goes the meat. She is rehung in pieces before musicians.

Now it is time to exit. The women take up the plastic bag dolls at the dining they take them up under their arms and walk out.

July 2015 Athens



Who. Was. The holder of the snakes
What person was that
from the long trunk
as for fun
starting tossing like silks
their long bodies
somersaulting the air
The young girl with striped
sneakers
shins on fire
crying yes
in frantic concentration
brows furrowed
in ecstasy and pain
she holds pressed to her stomach
the viper burrowing intestines

A hand from outside
rips away the damage
intestines spill out

this horn of plenty opens
the question of death

Who. Was. The holder
of the snakes

July 2015 Athens