Raymond B. Kupelian is a recognized author in the Diaspora as well as in Armenia, where a sampling of his short stories and latest two novels have been published. Now in his sixties, Mr. Kupelian has lived in Liberia and Sierra Leone for more than twenty years. His African short stories have been translated into English and Russian.

Articles

Paradoxical

Our existence seems to be loaded With so many paradoxes With so much absurdity. We pretend enjoying life… Early mornings We rush to the toilet. Wife and husband we exchange few words Around the coffee table. To keep our shape We escape the breakfast, With an empty stomach We are drown into freeways To be at work on schedule… At lunch we have time or not To chew a sandwich… Maybe few phone calls To the friends we missed....

May 21, 2005 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Circus Like

I am the prisoner Of the barbed jail Of my own doing. My prison cell Isn’t the creation Of the Circus master’s Oppressive mind… It is the handwork Of square minded Robot like humanoids … Wow! What a pleasure Leaving very soon With my prison guard To the far away shores On vacation To recuperate From the stressful routine Like the enchained beasts Of the famous circus To move my forgotten existence From one country to another… No matter where the show goes The program is the same The metal bars And the prison guards too Nothing has changed from my destiny… During the short life span Only the spectators And the stage is changeable… The guards are closely watching Weeps on hand Leaning to my cage’s door…

April 2, 2005 · Raymond B. Kupelian

No Return

The wife was begging me To get ride of that ugly bunch Of awful fake flowers Planted in the old pot Resting not long ago Over the balcony’s White coffee table That had ruthlessly deceived A young humming bird I drove to the nearby Old Japanese nursery Bought some young violets To change the look Of east side balcony… I added some fertilizer To the dry gardening soil And with lot of pain Transplanted the flowers And suck them With my sweating And why not, A lot of plain tap water...

January 15, 2005 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Hummingbirds

A young hummingbird Poor thing Flew all the way To the balcony Of my apartment On the third To imbibe the nectar From an artificial flower That I have implanted In the humid soil The day before When the lilacs in the pot Suddenly died… To their detriment, The hummingbirds of this world Will find out one day That man made flowers Beautiful no doubt Lack the feeling Or sentiment No odor no soul No need for pollination We shouldn’t come too close They might eventually With their subtle ways deceive The shrewdest among us And yet the worse They will fool innocent birds Without having any remorse…

June 26, 2004 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Just A Phone Call

If not calling you My little crazy girl Somehow will liberate you From the sense of guilt That our society has built In your sub consciousness. Then so must it be… That senseless action Isn’t a salvation Neither an option Which will no doubt Bring destruction To the fine relation That has emerged From the scraps of our past… Not calling each other Will not solve any problem Will not heal any wound Will only deepen our sorrow And stress our loneliness Will destroy the beauty Of this unique relation And will not make us Perfectly sound person…...

April 10, 2004 · Raymond B. Kupelian

The Path of Destiny

When destiny Crossed our path, Stroked by your beauty The purity of your soul The brightness of your thought I, as a destitute lover Wanted to spend The rest of my days Adoring you As goddess of love To fly at your side In eternal blue sky… To be your companion In time of distress As well in happiness You could always lean On my shoulders And when you are Submerged in ecstasy When you suddenly feel Your heart will explode And your mind will blow From the tenderness Of my caresses And the touch of my lips To the unexplored curves Of your virginal And gorgeous body… I will be at your side For the rest of my life Adoring you!...

February 7, 2004 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Huge Red Lobsters

Transparent tiny water tank Shackled monstrous red lobsters Struggling to get out Unconscious of their fate… At any moment Following A plump chef’s order To be plunged Into a boiling pot Of salty water… To feed our hunger Reduce cholesterol To cut weight And as a substitute for aphrodisiac To enhance our sex life Man, it is so great You bet… To be a superman Ignorant of its own fate…...

December 27, 2003 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Cosmonaut

I am the astronaut Of the destroyed spacecraft Who traveled From one end of universe To outer space Looking for the planet Under who’s breast are kept The treasures Of our lost loves Aborted longings Tormented dreams Unbridled sentiments Unfulfilled vibes And violated innocence… From worm like beginnings To the chimpanzee As soon we stood On our two feet Suddenly With a vengeance Of superman We longed and craved For the cave....

September 6, 2003 · Raymond B. Kupelian

Destiny

From an early age I silently carried My burden of lead Attached to my wings As an omen of destiny Branded on my forehead And also on my soul… I was so often Plucked of my feathers By those mortals Who refrained my attempts For a better life They have prevented My willful fly In the blue sky And my journey To the distant oceans To the distant shores…...

July 5, 2003 · Raymond B. Kupelian