A few kilometers away from hell...

My Greek friend DD, who comes from the island of Lesvos,

put this up in the morning and I am on Paradise island, 

a very short distance away from plain hell of violence, contempt and atrocity. 

I am in some sort of apathy, not being able to act in any practical way.

Being here in peace, to compare to the other side of the water, 

leaves my anger glowingly hot. 

A real dictator of the worst kind, is showing his ugly face,

under the manipulative headline of having been democratically elected.

It stinks when actions taken in the words of God and Democracy

are justifying brutality and power control 

and the killing of millions of innocent.

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Intensity and expectation...

I have the kids running by in the aisle outside, every morning and afternoon,

down to the school and waiting classrooms. 

It is over for this year, the silence will be there, (except for the every day gossiping by neighbors)

 and kids send greetings and tears from parents and hugs and they took a chance 

to show us all spectators,

parts of their enthusiasm for togetherness and the love for vegetables and fruit. 

* 

In scorching light...

An almost blinding day. Amazing scenes to visit, repeatedly returning to.

The light stays with me inside, long into the night.

And so the rest in shady Perivolís.

*

Thank you, for that Greek generosity...

...Tímos Pétras. You, and many others here on the island, 

so often remind me of how important the small gestures are.

24 hour delivery service. Neatly packaged and just to pick up.

Just a phone call away.

*

Forever protected...

700 years of close watch, the Venetian way.
I look up this beloved castro every day and night.
It is like always wearing a cap on my head.
Living with it constantly, means easy to forget how it is inside looking out.
Angles of dramas, too often forgotten.
*

Nothing less but breathtaking.

Mushrooms below.

Soldiers in a row.

Olympic Stadium environment.

By land and by sea.

Fortress within the fortress.

Watching with amazement from Petrí...

Cool at night, the sounds of owls and herons,

incredible farewells to the light of the day,

shifting from minute to minute

are the views and the visit to the village of Petrí.

Easy to get affected here and just go with the flow of thoughts and emotions.

*

Young mind contemplating.

Tranquility approaching.

Last breath in the sky.

Ten minutes later.

From loukoumades to Stefanos...

There are so many trips I like to take on Lesvos.

Innumerable varieties, really.

I move around a lot 

and very often I go back to 

where I have been before.

To Mantamados and Termís,

from sweets to silence.

And often bringing friends along.

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