"Thirteen Silk Verses" is a series of death and grief poems in the Cyprus Poems collection that tell the poignant story of a young girl whose death left a deep and lasting impact on all those who knew and loved her.

Through vivid imagery and stirring language, the poems evoke the solemn rituals and mystical traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church and its Byzantine heritage. The Trisagion, a powerful liturgy of mourning and remembrance, echoes through the verses, as does the timeless symbol of the cross.

The teenage girl's young love, too, plays a central role in the poems, his love for her an intense and heart-breaking reminder of the fragility of life. Through his eyes, we see the grief and longing of a young life whose dreams had been shattered by her loss.

Each poem weaves together vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and lyrical language to create a portrait of a world that is at once familiar and otherworldly. From the haunting whispers of the wind to the shimmering reflections of the moon, each detail is imbued with meaning and significance, inviting the reader to delve deeper into the mysteries of life and death.