Three Poems by Xrysoula Foufa

1-
Beauty

Beauty belongs to manners.
A person's charm is his character.
Beautiful deeds weigh humanity.
Speech and thoughts 
should be diamonds 
of love and good will.
Beauty belongs to a good heart 
that feels compassion 
and offers healing and help.
A nice conduct 
is a great honour to the world.
Culture and peace 
in the wind of our life 
encompass the meaning of beauty.
Beauty equals a heavenly touch of souls.
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2-
The fiery woman 

Having left the fire back 
she feels free.
Danger cannot be in her way .
She has been turned into 
a risky woman 
to win herself back.
Her determination 
signifies a struggle 
to her new beginning.
The flames behind 
have devoured her past.
□

3-
War and man

War will conquer us 
if we do not stop the hostilities.
Earth and sky will curse us 
with no remorse.
Man has intruded 
to all forms of life on the planet .
If there is no stopping sign 
he will become a vampire victim.
War is more powerful 
than it shows.
It has no mercy.
□

©® Xrysoula Foufa 
Greece



Born 1971 in Farsala, Greece, Χrysoula Foufa is an educator, poet, and public figure whose life bridges literature, pedagogy, and civic service. She graduated with honors from the Department of English Language and Literature, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in 1993. For six years she directed her own tutoring school before entering public service through the national ASEP examinations. Appointed first to the high school of Astakos, Messolongi, she has taught English at the 1st General Lyceum of Farsala since 2000. Committed to lifelong learning, she has pursued seminars in pedagogy, psychology, ICT, and environmental protection, enriching both her classroom and her community engagement.

A bilingual poet writing in Greek and English, she is drawn to the lyrical intersections of place, memory, and travel. Her poetry has been distinguished with multiple awards in national and international competitions. Her work appears in poetry anthologies, newspapers, print and online literary magazines. Selected Greek poems have been translated into Portuguese and English. She has represented Greece at International Poetry Festivals, carrying the voice of Thessaly to wider audiences. Deeply rooted in public life, she serves as a city councillor and is a former vice mayor of Farsala. From 2018 to 2024 she presided over a local cultural club dedicated to preserving the traditions and customs of Epirus. She currently sits on the Board of the Academy of Farsala and the Board of the Farsala Chess Club, fostering intellectual and cultural life in her hometown. Beyond her professional and civic roles, she finds inspiration in literature, poetry, travel, and dance—arts that continually inform her writing and teaching.