Ka-ra-ve-ri-a

Veria, oh Veria
shall you remain
a country of the mind,
a lost heaven
for the fallen angels
of an Empire?

Veria, oh Veria
years of neglect
and forgetfulness
erased you from the annals
of written history
while you remained
a tune on the lips
of my grandmother who'd never seen you
harping
on the years of hardship
particular to the dispossessed

Veria, oh Veria
I have seen your peach trees,
admired your lush plains
without knowing
your name, your black name
what's in a name?

once found
twice lost
Ka-ra-fe-ri-a