Nostalgic Poems from a Macedonian Village

This poetry collection is a lyrical record of life in the small village of Sklithron (Zeleniche) in Western Macedonia (Greece), and of the journey of emigration to an adopted homeland, Canada. Through memory, place, and longing, these poems honour the people and everyday moments that shaped a generation.

Written by Kosmas Yotis, this collection preserves the voice of village life and the experience of leaving home—carrying the past forward while building a new life abroad.


PROLOGUE

The poems within this website

Aim to capture memories

They create a moment in time

And instill a sense of nostalgia


Those written to remind us

Of other eras

Old friends, old neighbourhoods

And forgotten feelings

To make us laugh and to make us cry


And to shout with joy


This book is also

A reminder of the fact

That when we were growing up

Many of the stories we heard

Were something more than stories


They were lived experiences

From our families

Experiences that shaped

Not only their values

But also their character


As well as


These poems will be

Stories and experiences

That will pass on to the next generation

And help strengthen

The enduring bond Between grandparent and grandchild





#Poem Title
1My Village
2We Arrived in Canada
3As soon as I collect three thousand
4The walk
5The man and his dog
6The horse returned without the rider
7Gradista Came Tumbling Down
8Innocent victims of war
9Civil War
10Civil War Part Two
11The refugees
12The return to the village
131950s
14The village wells
15Before darkness falls
16September 1947 Sklithro
17The little lights
18The sausages
19Sacrifice of a sister
20Biography of an orphan
21The American
22But she didn’t know how to make this pie (Zelnik)
23The fiancé
24Babo Geraka the midwife 1881-1957
25Friends came to see me.
26Four friends from the village
27On top of the monuments
28FREE THOUGHT
29Summary of our life in Canada
30Our first RESTAURANT
31Our children
32The old people
33I ask the moon one night
34My old village
35Two brothers from Canada
36Not even for the freight
37Where have you been for so long?
38A dream
39HERITAGE DAMAGE
40As mother grew old
41The last goodbye
42I saw the one evening
43And his body trembles
44This temporary life of ours
45TWO BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS
46When the power goes out
47My radiant gardenia
48Anthoula’s Dream
49ABOUT THE PAST
50OUR CHRISTMAS PAST
51MY TIN CAN TOY
52THE GREAT ESCAPE
53THE YOUNG WIZARDS
54THE GOOD SHEPHARD
55TO THE FATHER
56TO THE FATHER
57HAPPINESS

“The poems are meant to capture memories, encapsulate a moment in time and instill a sense of nostalgia. They were written to remind us of days gone by, old friends, old neighbourhoods and forgotten emotions. Remembrance of times that made us laugh, cry and shout out for joy. They are also a reminder of the fact that, when growing up many of the stories were heard were more than just stories; they were experiences lived by our families. Experiences that shaped not only their ideals, but their character as well. It will be these poems, stories, and experiences that will get passed on to the next generation and support a further bond between grandfather and grandchild.” (Steve Yotis)