Inspired by personal and collective experiences, Burning Forests and Burning Bodies is a poetic meditation on love, memory, and destruction. Written during the devastating wildfires of the summer of 2021 in Greece, the project intertwines the loss of nature with personal grief, blurring the boundaries between human intimacy and environmental devastation.
Through vivid imagery, the poem parallels the landscape of a beloved forest with the contours of a loved one's body—both familiar, both cherished, both ultimately consumed by fire. It speaks to the fragility of what we hold dear, whether it be relationships, places, or moments we assume will always be there.
This project serves as a reminder of impermanence, of the aching regret that comes with postponed intentions, and of the ashes—both literal and metaphorical—that remain when the flames subside. By participating in Poetry Expo, the work invites others to reflect on the delicate balance between love and loss, nature and human experience, and the urgency of preserving both.
The project is part of the subtheme The Ecology of Language - Poetry and Environmental Action.
Author
Christina Giavasoglou
Christina Giavasoglou was born in Athens in 2000 and grew up in Corinth. She is a graduate of the School of Chemical Engineering at NTUA and works as an environmental journalist for the website esgstories.gr, while also collaborating as an external partner with Greek singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos.
Her journey in poetry began in 2014 when she won a regional poetry competition. From 2017 to 2021, she was actively involved with the literary website itravelpoetry.com, where she progressed through various roles, including editor, social media manager, and editor-in-chief. She also worked with the online creative writing seminar production company MasterART. In 2022, she founded the literary website recviem.gr, which she continues to maintain. Through these experiences, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned artists, gaining invaluable insights into writing and creative expression.
Poetry has been a central part of her life since adolescence, serving not only as a means of self-expression but also as a profound source of joy and connection. Writing, for her, is a seamless way of communicating both with herself and others.
Her poem "Burning Forests and Burning Bodies" was written in the summer of 2021, a time when devastating wildfires swept through Greece, destroying vast forests and displacing many people. Amidst this tragedy, while experiencing personal moments of love and connection, she and many others set aside their summer plans to assist in the relief efforts. The poem captures the juxtaposition of love and loss, of personal emotion entwined with collective grief—an attempt to transform devastation into poetic resonance. Through Poetry Expo, she hopes her words will find their way to others, offering solace or a moment of shared understanding.
