Browse Tagged “Family and Generations” from the Canadian Macedonian Heritage Society archive, library and community collections.
Two brothers from Canada made up their minds one day to go, for one last time, to see their village far away. They had a few small fields and a little piece of land. “We’ll sell them,” they both said, “and drink some rakia while we can.” They left their suitcases at the hotel and started walking downhill. They called someone on their cell to say they’d reached the village still. They stood before ...
A stone slab appeared below, there in the yard one day. The two looked at each other slyly— and one grabbed the iron bar right away. One lifted it with the crowbar, the other struck with the heavy tool. The Albanians watched and wondered: “What are these two looking for here, fools?” They searched for hidden gold coins to give to their children and grandchildren dear. But instead of gold beneath ...
Where are you going, my sorrowed one, through these narrow alleyways? Why are you a stranger, my exiled one, with tears upon your face? Where have you been so long, that you had forgotten us— to see the green mountain again, to drink water from the spring? To take a walk through the village, to see your kin once more— where have you been so long? What was it that kept you away before? As he ...
Last night I dreamed, and found myself back in the village. All the parents were there, all the ancestors and relatives. And our children were there, together with the grandchildren. We danced at rido hand in hand, like in the olden years. We all embraced each other with tears in our eyes. We remembered everything from before— the passions of the past. And two brothers over there, now turned into ...
The last time I went to the village, to say farewell to those I knew, and from my father’s worn inheritance to sell what little there was to do— Our small ancestral house, a barn now fallen and bare, a lowly yard enclosure too, built once with sweat and care. I walked down into the yard as if my throat had closed tight— it gripped me deep within, like drowning in heavy night. Bushes and thorns ...
Her three sons left for foreign lands. One went off to Canada, another to Australia, and the third, the youngest, went to Germany. The years were difficult in their beautiful homeland. You leave your place behind when you have no hope. The brothers were separated, and the little cousins too. Their mother was left alone, wandering through the fields. With a pair of borrowed oxen she worked the ...
If I could ever write Two beautiful songs, They would be for the ones I admired— Those two beautiful flowers. I would caress them every morning Before I went to work, And like a bird in flight They gave me wings. And in the evening when I returned With tired wings, They ran to me and I held them close, And I flew from joy. And when spring arrived And they opened their petals, The bees circled ...
It was the month of July, The grandchildren had come, Their little tents were set up, Their fingers were on fire. Each one sat in a corner, Talking electronically, And every now and then they laughed. One was making tweets, The other going beep-beep, Texting from here, Tweeting from there. Their little heads were down, Their little fingers on fire, Not a word could be heard. I tried to ask them ...
We write about the past Because we don’t know the future The present goes fast And this...we have to nurture As I remember my parents They had so much to tell I was so busy with my errands So much behind I fell Now I have the time They are not here to ask The memory they left behind Will be my only task That’s way I am writing These precious lines in brief Now is time for binding Because time is ...
Christmas as I remember Long long time ago Those cold days in December With fresh fallen snow The church bells would chime And echo throughout the village The sun rays would shine We felt we were so privileged I had my mother and father My two sisters and me Baba Kata our grandmother I felt like I was in my high We got no Christmas presents We had no Christmas tree We had each others presence ...
