Astrella! By Bike To Australia & Back
Poems About Life, Love and Travel
Maria Grujicic
Copyright © 2011 Maria Grujicic
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2011-09-14
Dedication
To my husband Vladimir Grujicic who
opened my heart to write these beautiful poems.
Acknowledgements
- How can one find the words to thank a humble being when the results are the essence of I. My family and the unconditional love we share, a special way of seeing and an adventurous spirit and mind. I could not have written the contents of this book without the gift you gave. - To my mother and father who showed me the beauty of Kalymnos, Greece and the stories they told which gave me the tools to perform and the perspective of the world I hold. Thank you for instilling the belief of energy and grace, and giving me a sense of belonging and place. The first chapter is especially for you. - The poem A Baby Girl is for my brother John Mangos and for the passion he has in his heart for the beauty of family life. My nephews and nieces belonging to both brothers Mikes and John are featured in my book. Aunty’s Travels is a poem dedicated to you. Even when distance separates you are always there. - The poem The Number Of Children In the World is a game that my father played with me as a child. Thank you for playing and singing with us which has given me the child-like spirit to write. - The poem Leaving Our Friends Behind is dedicated to Lola Del Olmo, her sister Luz and her family for making me feel welcome in Albacete. The photo features Lola and is of the full night of drumming surrounding the Easter celebrations in a small village near Albacete. And Mercedes Leon Gabaldon; your photogenic grace shows in my poem Being A Writer. To my other friends I met abroad. I miss you all and it truly is hard to say good bye. - Thank you to Maria Del Carmen Garcia Gonzalez for introducing me to Manchegas dance classes. Spanish Dance Ole! This is a poem for you. To Cathy Mayer, my dancing friend, for sharing the joy of each poem of my first book with me over a cup of coffee - Gala Yakovleva, my tribal fusion dance teacher in Frankfurt, Germany was in the photo with me dancing in the poem, How To Write A Poem. You and my other teacher Soriah helped me achieve clarity in my dance. – My beautiful dance, you are like the poem released from my heart. You are always there with me, like the air that I breathe.
Sensations of Greece
Astimenia Kalymnos, Greece
The significant people you meet Are those that help you laugh when times are tough And cry when you need.
The Belief I Have In Me
Plati Gialo, Kalymnos Greece
The wild cats of the sea
They roam with the change
in the sky
By the light of the moon
they see
And by the rise of the sun
are somewhat blind
Rocks and shadowed places
Relieve their visibility
Their survival, a mystery
A glimpse, a glance
A fortunate chance for my eyes to see
A wild cat of the sea
Is the belief I have in me
A Distance Away
Darwin, Australia
Home, a distance away
A month
A big boat
Tearing the sea
in two
Two worlds
Ksenihtia Is what breaks a fragile heart Confuses the soul Spirit and mind dwells Only a bold story tells
A Girl, A Boy, A Love Story
Telendos, Greece
A shepherd girl
A house
High rocky mountains
Love in the wild thorny air
Family traditions
Closed the door
Tell, Talk, Speak, Say
A girl’s mouth maimed
Impossible
He was poor
A Cafe, Once Upon A Time
Kalymnos, Greece
A cafe was open
Once upon a time
Coffee a ritual
And no other place to go
Alone
Long cigar
Between teeth and lips
A gaze and smile
Permanently fixed
Eyes play tricks
Like a typical cowboy scene
Words a retreat
Youth and old age
Are edges from peak to peak
A Constant Meow
Drying Figs Astimenia Kalymnos, Greece
Like a constant meow
of a newborn orphaned kitten
to its mother
Heard and unnoticed
A hum in the air
A heart beat once lived there
A life, a breath, a thought
A character to uphold
A living being, abandoned
When it grew old
A House, Like A Sacred Keepsake Box