Kato Kleinai - Florina

I did manage to find one poem that wasn't all about heart break & doom.
It's a rather pretty account of my observations of a tiny village in Greece that I spent 3 months of my youth in.
Considering I was only 14 at the time I wrote it I think its quite a mature account and reading it manages to take me back there, flooding my mind with memories of a much simpler place and time.
I hope you get some enjoyment out of it too.

Kato Kleinai 

By day the village belongs to the children and their dreams.
As they run on it's gravel surface and lay on its moss & grass,
The mountains watch all around them
protecting them from all the dangers of the outside world.
As the sun beats down making the earth a dry, warm blanket
the children keep on playing,
never minding the heat but continuing their crazy wild fun 
'till dusk comes to remind them of home.
Finally the sun kisses the mountains goodnight
and together they stain the view a mixture of 
greens, purples, pinks and blues.
The lamps in the street slowly blink on,
and the children tiredly make their way home.
By night the village is transformed
and the teens come out to claim it.
The air is filled with the sweet smell of perfume
and the crisp scent of cologne.
All childish laughter has faded now 
and is dominated by teenage gossip,
While the earth gets trampled and scuffed by rushing feet,
the old deserted school yard becomes their moonlit playground.
Groups come and go
leaving behind empty sunflower shells
and drained cigarette butts mark their territory.
As the minutes crawl to hours
the gossip begins to die down,
The teens get bored and restless
as there's nothing left to fill the time.
They slowly leave the area
with a few shouts and smart jeers,
before too long everyone leaves the streets
and goes home to rest in bed.
Those few precious hours before dawn
belong to the village alone,
finally able to rest and rejuvenate for a brand new day.
The wind caresses the leaves of the weeping willows
and carries the scent of mankind out behind the mountains
to be forgotten and left to rest.
The crickets chirp while a galaxy of stars sparkle brightly
in the soft hazy glow of the moon.
Soon the air is filled with the sharp freshness of Geraniums and gentle mountain dew,
Slowly dawn lifts her beautiful face over the shelter of the hills,
And the village of Kato Kleinai is born again.

I can picture myself sitting on my aunts balcony sheltered by the grape vines, book on my lap, pen in hand safely tucked away 3 stories high where no one would notice me taking everything in.
Must've been early on in my trip before i got the courage to start mingling and causing all kinds of ruckus - the sort a small town like that would surely still be talking about.

Well I hope you didn't think that one was as stupid as the last one i posted but I promise there are no more and at least now you know why hehe.

xx
Kat