Raymond Grech was born in Sliema, Malta in 1953. He was educated at St. Catherine High School, Stella Maris College and at Sir Temi Zammit Sec. Tech. School. He started writing poetry at an early age and writes both in Maltese and English.
For the last fifteen years he has been managing his own firm. Raymond is a Lecturer of computer related subjects. He specializes and consults in Computerized Accounting and Business Administration. He studies the Holy Scriptures, Theology, Psychology and Philosophy.
Raymond Grech is an active member of the Maltese Poets Association and the Maltese Literary Society. He is a producer and presenter of radiophonic literary programs.
The poems of Raymond Grech are published in various anthologies, newsletters and newspapers locally and abroad as well as being aired on radio programs. More of his poems in Maltese and English can be viewed on his site, http://www.freewebs.com/raygrech
He is married with three sons.
Interviews on radio:
Aug 12 2005 Radju Matrici Stella Maris - Raymond Grech interviews Patrick Sammut
Aug 12 2005 Radju Matrici Stella Maris - Patrick Sammut interviews Raymond Grech
Following are highlights of his poetry awards:
18th October 2004 – First-prize winner of the Malta National Poetry Competition for 2004 with the poem Paceville Insomnja in the Maltese category.
30th September 2005 – First-prize winner of the Malta National Poetry Competition for 2005 with the poem Nostalġija in the Maltese category.
27th October 2006 – First-prize winner of the Malta National Poetry Competition for 2006 with the poem Fossils In My Sanctuary in the English category.
POETRY:
Tsunami-Ravaged Southeast Asia
(The December 26 disaster in the Indian Ocean nations, when a massive earthquake triggered tsunamis that devastated coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand and killed people as far away as east Africa.)
Plenty horses coming all white-feathered run,
Charging, crushing all those lying under sun.
Plenty horses roaring through the coastal sand,
Scaring natives, pilgrims, devastating land.
Whipped by quake and making waves to ravage wild,
Impetuous, devastating even child.
Abodes float on torrents rising from below,
Chorus cries of anguish vanish in billow.
Plenty horses gallop all black-feathered tolls,
Drawing stately chariots full of lifeless souls.
Plenty horses marching the stilled copious flow,
While gravediggers trench the slaughtered earth in throe.
Land-Lord, you saw it all going down the slope…
Plenty horses send in rainbow garb for hope!
Raymond Grech
10 January 2005
Sliema - Malta.
This poem won a prestigious award in the United States.
I AM Always Here For You!
The North wind slaps my naked face
Cold needles creep beneath my skin
Boreas vows to thwart my grace.
Derailed, I pray… What Shall I do?
A silent whisper comes within
“I AM always here for you”!
Raymond Grech
25 January 2006
Sliema - Malta.
Boreas
In Greek mythology, the personification of the north wind. He carried off the beautiful Oreithyia, a daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens; they lived in Thrace as king and queen of the winds and had two sons, Calais and Zetes. To show his friendliness for the Athenians, Boreas wrecked the fleet of the Persian king Xerxes off the promontory of Sepias in Thessaly; in return the Athenians built him a sanctuary or altar near the Ilissus and held a festival (Boreasmos) in his honour. In works of art Boreas was represented as bearded, powerful, draped against cold, and winged.
Copyright 1994-1999 Encyclopædia Britannica
The Surviving Seeds
The wild wind blows ruthlessly
Across the ploughland,
Cold and insensitive
Moves on to batter in spiral gusts,
Foreboding dreary overtones...
Protrudes
To mounts and valleys,
Bending palm trees,
Plucking weak shrubs,
Dispersing seeds to life and death.
We are the surviving seeds
Of the Sower,
Escaped and unharmed,
Tossed and shaken,
Shaped and chiselled
By the wild wind.
Sprouting to eternity!
Raymond Grech
9 April 2005
Sliema – Malta
Best Wishes
(To my closest friend,
Barry Bourne - Southampton UK.
A Pastor and a Gentleman.)
I wish I lived in paradise
Where angels shout for joy.
I wish I roamed the galaxies
Beyond my spaceship toy.
I wish I hopped the midnight stars
To Mars and Saturn clime.
I wish I rode the Milky Way
To earth return in time.
I wish I walked in pain-free paths
Rejoicing in my heart.
I wish I lived in blissfulness
With many smiles to part.
I wish a world adorned with peace
Where child will never die.
I wish unchained humanity
Utopia pray for aye.
I wish volcanoes spewed out milk
To calm the churning sea.
I wish storm clouds dripping honey
For land to flow so free.
I wish seaquakes brought good tidings
To surf to shore on wind.
I wish swords turned into crosses
And mankind never sinned.
I wish Best Wishes constant came
To finish my hard race.
I wish to sing and dance all day
Before the Throne of Grace.
When I shed my earthly garment
My wishes will come true!
I will fly in newest heavens
Where God awaits you too!
Raymond Grech
1st April 2005
Sliema - Malta.
Best Wishes is a memorial to my friend the late Barry Bourne. Barry inspired me to write this poem, whenever he corresponded with me he ended his messages with Best Wishes. His last words to me were Best Wishes. In this poem I share my thoughts with Barry and I detail my best wishes to him which were also his best wishes.
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