Patrick M. Ohana
Bio
A medical writer who reads and writes fiction and some nonfiction, although the latter may appear at times like the former. Most of my pieces (over 2,200) are or will be available on Shakespeare's Shoes.
Stories (501/0)
Inner Literary Peace
I began writing poetry in my early teens, even proposing to my first English teacher in high school to write her a poem instead of an exam. She agreed and gave me an A. I wrote poetry from time to time following this initial brush with success, both in English and French, but never considered myself a poet. I published a few poems throughout the decades that followed, but it was only in my mid-forties that I adopted poetry as a means to attain some inner peace from the usual and unusual tribulations of life. I had studied Shakespeare extensively at the undergraduate and graduate levels and thus had embraced the sonnet as my favourite poetic form. I wrote over a hundred sonnets in the past ten years, but it is in 2020, during the ongoing pandemic, that I discovered the acrostic: a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or more by the end of the poem. This poetic form became my new passion, as I challenged myself to write acrostic sonnets, acrostic alexandrines, and much longer acrostics.
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Poets
If a Difference of Age Disturbs Your Relationship
This newer century has not been any kinder than previous ones in terms of the bias towards women in unions involving a significant difference of age between the partners. It was never a piece of chocolate cake; some even call it a slice of cheese cake. For some foolish reason, people tend to eye a couple where the woman is older than the man with mockery and reproachfulness. It is still held in numerous little minds that both partners in a relationship should possess the same age or a slight difference of a few years. Women are expected to be younger than the men they live with or marry, and if this clause is not respected, the women in question suffer from their society’s hypocrisy, and often, from the weakness of their companions. The solution to this ancient problem is mathematical: the Law of Averages. However, its effectiveness resides only in the minds of the couples involved. Society’s beliefs are so difficult to alter that a solution seems almost impossible.
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Humans
The Old Valise
Frank was a learned, postmodern man who aspired during most of his life to live in calmness, tranquility, and peacefulness. He loved synonyms. This sweet, kind, middle-aged man spent most of his time in the library reading any book that contained some kind of wisdom. As a librarian, he had access to a large quantity of books, old and new, ancient and modern. His quest for knowledge accompanied him to several kingdoms. Besides the English, he traveled to the French, Spanish, Russian, German, Italian and Portuguese realms of literature. Although it nourished him with great joy, he felt that time was pressing, suffering immensely from an acute fear of death. There was so much more material to measure, and literature was literally legionary.
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Fiction
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 23
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 22 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—this is probably the last time that I repeat it—to play the role of a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she already did in the first series, but in this series with the full and timely name, Anthi (Flowers) Kanéna (No Body). She smells better than any flower and her body is forever in my mind. Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks. Winston Churchill
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Futurism
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 22
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 21 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—methinks that I did not mention it enough—to play the role of a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she already did in the first series, but in this series with the full and significant name, Anthi Kanéna. Every day is Valentine’s Day in my mind, with blue-and-white Anthi (“flowers” in Greek). Greece is a good place to look at the moon, isn’t it? Leonard Cohen
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Futurism
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 21
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 20 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—I have it in writing—to play the role of a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she already did in the first series, but with the full name, Anthi Kanéna, in this series. I feel like another brick in a wall of Greek flowers that have begun to surround me with no way out. There is the heat of Love, the pulsing rush of Longing, the lover’s whisper, irresistible—magic to make the sanest man go mad. Homer, from The Iliad
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Filthy
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 20
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 19 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—no one can deny it—to play the role of a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she already did in the first series, but as Anthi Kanéna in this series, which currently has no foreseen end, though the last part exists in M’s mind. I said it before and I will say it again, namely that each time that I now see flowers, I can only think of Anthi (“flowers” in Greek). [T]hose who willed the means and wished the ends are not absolved from guilt by the refusal of reality to match their schemes. Christopher Hitchens, from The Trial of Henry Kissinger
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Futurism
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 19
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 18 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—I am 100% sure—to appear as a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she did in the first series, though as Anthi Kanéna in this series, to be precise like the blue and white I perceive in her smile. Each time I see flowers now, I think of Anthi. It is a shame to be called educated, those who do not study ancient Greek writers. François Rabelais
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Filthy
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 18
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 17 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—I am positive—to appear as a fictional character also called, Anthi, as in the first series. Compared to the other four main characters, namely Athena, Patrick, Eléni, and M, Anthi has become an unpredictable one when writing about her. M, also the narrator, often feels lost before her, and so in love with her that everything else becomes secondary at best, even Goddess Athena. Among all peoples, the Greeks have dreamt life’s dream most beautifully. Goethe
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Filthy
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 17
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 16 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—I keep repeating it—to appear again and again as a fictional character called, Anthi, really, as she did in the first series. Yet, this fictional Anthi is slowly becoming a second Athena, which may beg the question if the title of this series should have been, Eléni and M Move to Athens to Be With Anthi. The problem with Greece is that she is just too beautiful. Anon
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Futurism
Eléni & M Move to Athens - Part 16
This new series has its history in the form of several short stories, several poems, and a 13-part series that is linked at the bottom via Part 15 of this series. Anthi Psomiadou has graciously agreed—you already know that she did—to continue to appear as a fictional character also called, Anthi, as she did in the first series. However, this fictional Anthi Kanéna appears to be real somehow, perhaps taking after the real Anthi just by sheer coincidence, intensity, energy, and or some kind of faith. There are two kinds of people. Greeks, and everyone else who wish they were Greek. From My Big Fat Greek Wedding
By Patrick M. Ohana3 years ago in Fiction