I did not find Greece in the white domes of Santorini
Nor in the clear blue green seas,
But amongst the gifts and the welcome
Of Thessaloniki.
I did not find Greece in Acropolis,
Nor in the golden beaches,
But in the tales ordinary life
Told by extraordinary friends.
I did not find Greece in tourist Corfu,
Nor in the famed Chania,
But in a tavern, with an audience singing along
With gusto popular songs of lament.
I did not find Greece
Among guidebooks and ruins
But in the kitchen, cooking with
Strange and unknown ingredients.
I did not find the Greece of Aristotle and Plato,
Nor that of Homer and Troy,
But in the struggles of migrants and natives,
Facing their own nemeses.
I did not find Greece in museums,
In the company of Zeus and Athena,
But in the sad goodbyes of friends,
Now permanent in my heart.