STEPMOTHER
Our stepmother was
warm and inviting; she opened her embrace with the hope that
we too could learn to love her. Many say she accepted us out
of her own need, that too was part of the plan. However, the
truth is she accepted us as her own children.
-We,
the tormented children of Greece. who had no future in our
own country. Our elders, who were more knowledgeable than
ourselves, advised us that the best we could do would be to
leave our homeland (us, not them) They of course did not
leave their cozy, secure niche of azure skies, embroidered
landscapes and the familiar.
They
managed to secure their place by strength and dominance. yet
I tend to believe that we are stronger.
we
opened our wings to another horizon with only our
logic and courage as· our weapons. Our greatest love, that
of life, made us co-operative and tolerant of others.
Consider that, even though our stepmother welcomed us, our
step-brothers and sisters instantly showed us that we were
not wanted and that we did not deserve or have the right to
expect our stepmother to bestow her all on us. They
preferred not to share her vast lands and prosperity with
their foreign siblings. They cajoled and pushed us, they did
not want to understand us. In their narrow minds, there was
no room for us - no love or warmth.
With
what little help we could muster
from
our stepmother, we
agonized, labored, cried and suffered to bear our families
and achieve some degree of success.
'
It
is from this time, that our brothers and sisters fro'lJ' our
homeland began to think of us .. , the other children, with
whom they were unable to share their bread. Now they thought
they may be able to gain something from their
"""wealthy" brothers and sisters. Their
thinking running along the lines
at
"Surely. after 20-30 years
abroad,
they have acquired plenty - more than they need. D
Ironically,
about the same time; our stepbrothers and system began to
view us in a more favorable light. Friendlier and even with
some degree of jealousy.
How
could we, the discarded souls, the weak, the lowly, have
achieved so much. We created a life and found a place in our
stepmothers society, without ever losing touch with or
forgetting the culture and traditions of our homeland.
How
good it would be if we could all embrace our fellow man,
whatever his colour, race or station in life. Only then
would love and peace role on this earth. Unfortunately, man
is still governed by the primitive beast which lives within.
Here lies the tragedy.
In
truth, our stepmother has helped us considerably. We eat and
drink as much as we desire and the rest we throw out. I
cannot help but think of how many
starving
souls would live on what we waste. Souls like ours which
suffered through the war.
Honestly,
we need so little to survive and yet our insatiable
appetites for all manner of things bloats our minds and
bodies to unnatural proportions, leaving us to seek the aid
of physicians. Unfortunately, a physician cannot teach us
the lesson of moderation, this we must learn ourselves.
A
moderate approach to life is best with a heart and mind
willing to learn from, accept and love their brothers and
sisters -
be
they "'natural or "'step" .
LITSA
NIKOLOPUOLUO
GOGAS
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ΑΥΣΤΡΑΛΙΑ
Αυστραλία
ωραία
χώρα
αγαπηµένη
Η
οµορφιά
σου
είναι
µητρική
Εδώ
συγκεντρώθηκαν
όλα
10
φτωχά
παιδιά
Απ'όλη
τη γη τα
στερηµένα
διωγµένα
Απ'της
µάνας τη
στοργή.
Εσύ
µε τη θερµή
αγκαλιά
σου τα
ζέστανες,
Τα
έκανες
δικά σou.
Όµορφη
χώρα. τα
πάρκα
σου
Και
όλα µε αρµoνiα.όλα
σου θαυµαστά.
Μας
δέχτηκες
µας
έδωσες
όπ θέλει
Ο
άνθρωπος
να ζήσει Θαλπωρή,
αγάπη
,σπίτι
κρεβάτι
Το
δένδρο µας
ρiζωσε
σε
τούτη
τη γη.
Καρπωφόρησε
και
καµαρώνουµε
τους
βλαστούς
µας
Την
οµορφιά
την ψυχή
της ζωής
µας
Την
ξενιτιά
µας. Την
πίκραµα
και τη
χαρά µας.
Κι όµως
από
τούτη τη
µάνα που µάζεψε
Όλου
του κόσµου
τα φτωχά
παιδιά.
Κάποτε
πόνεσε
της
ράγισαν
την
καρδιά
Της
κλέψανε
ΟΙ
κυρίαρχοι
τα
δικά
της
παιδιά.
Μ'ένα
χάδι µ'ένα
βλέµµα
από τα
θετά της
παιδιά
βρήκε
πάλι τη
γαλήνη
κι
άνθισε η
καρδιά.
Εγώ,
συγνώµη
σου ζητώ,
μητέρα µου
θετή µου,
Με
το
τραγούδι
µου αυτό
υψώνω τη
φωνή µου.
Εσύ
µε
δέχτηκες.
µε κ:ανάιαεψες
Μου'πλυνες
ης
πληγές µου,
Μου
άνοιξες
την
πόρτα
του
περβολιού
σου,
Να
µε
λούσει η
δροσιά
κι
ο
ήλιος να
µου
ζεστάνει
Τους
πόνους
και τον
νόστο
της
ξενιπάς
µου.
Σε
τούτο το
oλάvθισro
περιβόλι
εγεύτηκα
τη γύρη
Και δυνάµωσα.
-Ολα
σου
είναι όµορφα.
απέραvrα.
ειρηνικά.
Τόσες
φυλές µoVlάζoς
µέσα
στην
αγκαλιά.σουι
Τη
µητρική,
τη θεική,
παράδειγµα
ας γίνει
Σ:όλη
τη γη.
Λιτσα
Νικολοπούλου
- Γκόγκα
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