Suitcase Suite #14

Kitchen, stove, table, bed, sink, shower...

Life dances around them

peacefully

while

elsewhere,

people scream and shout and fight.

In protest

of

change that 

sweeps away

a life style.

And 

I,

who live

here, 

in a peaceful bubble,

am saving

perfume bottles

and

scraps of lace

that may be used 

for
elegant explosives,

should 

necessity strike.

Mother's Day

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child....

TLSR#5

The weeks are running away from me in a repetition of closet cleaning, looking at pictures and coming across objects that I had thought lost for ever. Instead of greaving my loss I celebrate the clearing of my own space and the creation of my very own home.

TLSR#4

On Monday I arrived in a splendid Cologne that was much warmer than SKG. Walked in the old city looking for stores I like and enjoyed the sunny spring day. I came upon the 4711 store. I smelled the fresh scents that always remind me of my dad, and kept walking around the sunny city, window shopping. I spent the evening with K and L and went to bed late. 
I woke up early by a phone call ringing in the news of my mom's death.
At 2pm I was on a plane going back to SKG to find mom in her coffin surrounded by her dearest friends, covered under a blanket of beautiful flowers. Finally the end of an era has arrived.

Suitcase Suite# 13

The phone rung

the news 

of her demise.

with trembling 

limbs,

out of breath,

I saluted the 

end of an 

era.

The Queen is 

dead.

Long live

the 

Queen!

TLSR#3

Third week in Greece with splendid days of sunshine and wind that caries the aroma of neroli blossoms and messes up the hair in a playful and mischievous way. I love being in Thessaloniki when the sun shines, the mount Olympus plays hide and seek and the sea sparkles. Life seems good and promising on such a splendid day. 

On Tuesday evening I went to to my cousin's lecture at the MMCA. He talked with great humor and knowledge about the evil characters of cinema who all reside in modernist buildings. 

On Wednsday I attended a lithography workshop by my good friend Erica Gutenschwager. Also accepted the invitation to participate in a conference about Greek Botanical Gardens in June. I will write a paper about Nostalgic gardens of displaced people and will teach a blue print workshop. I realize that I truly belong in both continents and love it! 

On Thursday I went to see yet another play that I found delightful and totally up to date! Then late dinner at Zythos Doree, one of my favorite classic bier bars in Thessaloniki.

On Friday I worked on my paper project, run errands and at night I went to a book reading, where I met an old childhood friend. We stayed up passed midnight drinking white wine and savoring great food at a new small restaurant.

Saturday strated with a headache thanks to the cheap wine. The weather suddenly turned rainy, cold and moody.

We gave mom a bath that turned to be an almost disaster. The wheel chair broke and cut her leg. She was very uncomfortable and moaning most of the day. I thought she was going to pass away. I called the doctor who told me to chill, there is no reason to fear. But the reflection of my eyes on the mirror was full of terror. I spent most of the day at her side observing her malaise. I want to run away!

And I took the plane on Monday morning to go to Cologne. I kissed her good bye and asked her to wait till I'll be back in a week. 

TLSR#2

Second week in SKG with a bit of nostalgia for STL. For this reason I have used the detail from this SLAM renaissance painting. 
Here I seem to be starting to feel rooted again. Social life in full bloom, as usual. Three hour lunches, late night visits with friends and a class on Architectural Theory taught by my cousin Petros Martinidis at the AUTH. Great analysis of Modernism/Postmodernism. On Thursday I had a good yoga session at noon. Then I spent the rest of the day in the company of childhood friends.
On Friday evening I was passing near Electra Palace Hotel and there were lots of policemen and the street was closed.  A woman was about to commit suicide by jumping off a hotel room balcony. 
A young passer by commented: we finally became Europeans! 
Someone else whispered: is she going to jump? I have been waiting almost half an hour. She is wasting my time! 
A policeman said: keep on moving. You are stressing her out!
I did not get to see the suicidal woman. I only saw an open balcony door with a light white curtain floating in the evening wind. 
I decided to walk into the corner pastry shop, buy a profiterol and celebrate life. 
On Saturday I went to the theater again. Contemporary Greek play, surprisingly very interesting and well acted. This time I went to the theater alone. On my way back I stopped at my friend's  Mairartesanias studio where I stayed until 3:30 am. I walked home through streets full of partying young people. I slept with earplugs.
Mom has been sleeping most of the time.
When awake she seems confused. Days ago she was concerned about the kids and the babies. Have they been fed, are they sleeping, who is my mom, when am I leaving? 
Total confusion. I asked her when is she leaving. 
-To go where?, she said. 
-To the underworld, I replied.
 

TLSR#1

TLSR stands for the second round or Transatlantic Letters.
I have started my voyage to Europe with a sudden visit in Munich. I missed my connecting flight so I had a whole day to visit the city. Munich is a big city so all I had the chance to see was its very center, the area around Marienplatz. The first thing I noticed arriving in Munich was this beautiful image of artisan crusty delicious bread. During my short stay I enjoyed the beauty of an open air market, looked at objects made out of wood, lots of natural bristle cleaning brushes (!), photographed painted facades of old buildings, had coffee with ice cream at the most central caffe across from the city hall, sat in the sun by Isar river and looked at the people around me. I found Munich enticing enough to want to go back for a longer stay.
The European reality is so very different from the American one! 
I arrived in Greece close to midnight on a Tuesday. 
The streets were filled with people, the bars and caffes jammed, the bitter lemon trees in blossom smelling sweet in the night air. And mom still alive and happy to see me.
I've spent the week taking care of things, meeting with friends, went to a dinner party at a restaurant where the chef for the day was my friend, and then to a bar to celebrate her success till 2am. Went to the theater and then to a bar to discuss the play etc, till 2am. Went to the movies and then to a bar to catch up with my cousin, till midnight. We have a pattern here.
I also had the good luck to be invited to an all day Sunday excursion to the NE of Greek Macedonia. It is customary for the Greeks to be taking day trips on Sundays to enjoy the nature. And it was very pleasing indeed to be traveling through emerald fields, passing fruit trees in bloom, seeing the animals with their newborns. Life is good. So far.

Suitcase Suite: #12

We've conquered the air

or

has the air conquered us?

I jump on a plane

and

I rush to see you,

kiss the lips

that produce

this voice

I love so much,

see the eyes

I like to see

my reflection on,

touch the fingers

I love to hide

in the most secret

crevices

of my body.

Suitcase Suite: #11

He sailed away

then sailed back

then sailed away again...

He comes and goes

with the tide,

he brings with him

a wave of "soedad".

We meet and say hello

then

goodbye

till we meet again

and

in between

the time

fills

with

voices.

His voice

My voice

 turn into thin air.

Air that moves

the sails

of our ships

keeping us going

untill we meet again

Suitcase Suite: #10

I walked by

 the
sea

growing

moment

after
moment

with the 

anticipation

of becoming
a

woman.

A woman ready to fly

far 

and

away

with the wings of

desire

with the wings of

passion

with the wings of

knowledge.

Suitcase Suite: #9

He took me 

by the hand

as I was holding my two balloons.

I followed him

into the freshness

of his room.

There he ran his fingers

over

my arm

my chest

my foot

my belly

my whole body

that broke 

into 

pieces

like a Cycladic idol

found in the sand.

Suitcase Suite: #8

I hide behind 

the mask of 

another language,

an assumed identity,

I pretend to be

I pretend to breath

I pretend to bring 

the food on the

table

my body on the fresh

sheets

my face in front of

the cold morning mirror.

Merriment

is 

no

longer

a pleasure

when it has become

carnevale perpetuo. 

Suitcase Suite: #7

My little Red Riding Hood

the big bad wolf

devoured you.

He sank his teeth

into 

your tender flesh,

your little cries

he thought

were cries of pleasure,

you tasted so good

he enjoyed

every 

little

bite

of 

your young

unripe body.

And you,

who

always wanted

to run away

with

the 

wolves,

you

pulled 

the hair

of his back

and let out a cry,

a laughter, a sigh of 

relief.

NO MORE GRANDMOTHERS,

PICNIC BASKETS

AND TRIPS INTO THE WOODS.

You are finally

FREE

Suitcase Suite: #6

We consume our love

on beds, 

chairs,

around tables

in shady rooms,

in public spaces,

we dip our fingers

in

the succulent juices

of lovemaking

and 

wash our minds

with the juices

of

the ripe 

autumnal grapes.

Life is a feast.

Drink the wine.

Bite the flesh

and

pull 

the tablecloth

behind you. 

Suitcase Suite: #5

Eternal woman

with her gestures,

her smiles,

her desiring glances.

She passes 

in front 

of 

him

smiling

a red smile.

Then turns away 

pretending 

she 

does not

care.

She leaves behind

the sweetness

of her 

perfume,

a promise,

an invitation

for 

future

encounters,

for long evenings

around

tables

chairs

and beds.

Suitcase Suite: #4

Sometimes I want to be left alone

in a dark room,

all alone

to hide

like a hermit crab

into the shell

of my

thoughts

to 

escape

in virtual visits

to 

other lands

visiting

with beloved ones

or 

just left there

alone

on a bed

looking 

at 

the flight of a fly.

Wall, ceiling, wall...

Time flies

and

flies time themselves

with 

my need

to be

alone.

Suitcase Suite: #3

We plunge 

into

the wine colored sea

 of nostalgia.

Some barefoot, some naked,

with our heads shaved

our teeth gaped and missing

We are growing children

ever changing

like snakes 

who shed

their skins.

Our childhood

now

a fist full of

milk teeth

white and dry,

remind us

of the days

the world was 

a long voyage

to uncharted territory...

"Are we there, yet?"

Suitcase Suite: #2

Round is the moon

but today is only

a thin sliver

hanging

in the darkness.

Playful is the moon,

here today,

gone 

in a few nights.

Winks to me

in its 

fullness.

Soothes me

with

its total absence.

It will come back

again

to play

to smile

to bathe

my naked skin

with

its silver light.

Poems from the Suitcase Suite: #1

Desire 

is like

a butterfly.

Comes suddenly,

touches lightly,

quickly

tickles our senses,

then flies away

having left the fuzz

of its iridescent wings

trapped 

in the folds

of our minds.