My Macedonian grandfather with the donkey filled with groceries From the market comes towards our house. Our house is located across the police station In the city of Florina-Lerin, which is a tiny city. The backyard of our home faces the magnificent mountain And the front-yard of our home faces the river that flows calmly. From afar when I see the grandfather I leave the games, and the boys To get for my ...

The mountain climber with his athletic beauty And his golden heart He is set out early in the morning For his morning walk towards the mountains. On his shoulders, he carries the green bag filled with food And a flask of refreshing water. Lassie, the dog runs lively. She is ahead of him. The uphill road Is too narrow and too tiring. A gentle wind caresses their faces And the birds are welcoming them in singing. ...

At the church of St. Panteleimon, in Lerin I was going to get the Lord's blessing. The church choir chant sweetly. The church choir chant softly and angelic. Every Sunday in the church I felt a particular joy. I felt peaceful Because I Love the Christian believes. I admired the icons, the paintings. What liveliest expressions were these! The faces of the Saints were painted with skill Which were called the highest ...

Christmas Day is a Saint Day Where the justice and the kindness conquers. This day commemorated the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the savior of the World, the Miraculous. Mother, you are a praiseworthy mother and a grandmother. You raised six children and five grandchildren. You faced the difficulties in life with bravery And you conquer them all. This poem is for you, mother With all my love and ...

It was painted on my father's face, the joy and the fear The times when he held the radio close to his ear. He was hearing Macedonian songs Prohibited by the Greeks, the Macedonian songs. The volume of the radio was too low Any lower could not go. He wondered, if the Greek policeman was outside of his home Hidden under the window, or the porch, for eavesdropping. Mother was shaking as a leaf. She was whispering to ...

The Canadian citizens, from Florina, who live in the free world of Canada The times when they visit my birthplace, the city of Florina-Lerin To my relatives and my acquaintances, for me personally, they say the following. "Shame on her, she hates the Greeks, she speaks the Macedonian language And she goes to Macedonian Church..." My heritage is Macedonian I do not see any shame to that The Macedonian language is one ...

We were not familiar with the Macedonian Heritage The reason was, the Greeks Authorities hid it from us. In the Greek schools, we were taught the Greek language And they were accusing our language, the Macedonian language. They were insulting and physically abusing us, the Macedonians And they flooded our Macedonian land with the Greek refugees. They tore down the Macedonian churches And the Macedonians were sent to ...

That Macedonian girl was seven years old And attended the Fifth Public School of Florina-Lerin. At recess the teacher sent her at home to take some money For her to pay the tuition by installments. In the way, back to school the girl was late And she entered tiptoe the classroom. All of the sudden the teacher Grabbed her by the hair. With the thick stick, she hit the girl on the head. The girl felt dizziness. The ...

In the Macedonian villages of Aegean heartbreaking cries were reechoing. The Greek rebels from the mother's warm lap were grabbing the child. Innocent angels helpless with frightened souls We're asking each other "What will happen to us?" Without shoes, without food Frozen without their mother's tenderness Mountains, ravines explored without pause Mountains, ravines were leaving behind without a return. The ...

She belonged to a middle class She had a husband and six children. Her husband as always was in the Macedonian villages of Florina-Lerin. He was working there, painting. She was home in bed sick She had a high fever and a pain in the stomach. And that day, as always, the door opened with a kick The Greek policemen entered, and they were staring them with hate. Her children, as every morning, were praying to the Lord ...