mebtravelling

A rainy Athens Saturday, but not just any rainy Saturday: it’s the 17th of November, 

the date commemorating the Athens Polytechnic student uprising of 1973.  A few days earlier – 14 November –  a tank had been sent crashing through the iron gate of the Polytechnic just down the street here from my neighborhood, Exarchia –   Though full disclosure:  while still edgy, especially after dark, that piece was written a few years ago; people now speak of Exarchia as “high-rent” and “chic”.

Anyhow, Greeks, at least young ones, seem anxious to use this day for demonstrations in parts of the city, especially after sundown.

Actually,  nearly everything I  know about tonight is word-of-mouth. Busloads of police have arrived in the neighborhood, but a search of the English-language papers here suggests that the biggest fight this week is still the current Church-State Disagreement.

As for me, I believe I have some reading to catch up on, and some post-market cooking to do,  after sundown.

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about Control: First the photos, then the poem!

Happy Place

Revelation Triolet

Now, you know the illusion of control,

Like the toddler scrambling from his Melissa* mother.

You’ve been clear about your  goal,

Now, you know the illusion of control.

How was it that you  forgot the toll?

You’d been warned, but didn’t bother.

Now, you know the illusion of control,

Like the toddler scrambling from his Melissa mother. 

*A few days a week, I  have the great pleasure of spending time with the women, many of them mothers, of Melissa Network .