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

                                                                                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