Koraly Dimitriadis reading ‘μαμά μου’

μαμά μου, you were destined to be ours,
just as we, were destined to be yours

Παππούς hands were strong, resilient
working the land in that small village
from where you, our μαμά came from,
& η μαμά σου, μαμά μου,
watered the crops
with her feminine rage,
where twelve children grew
& one of them, was you,
μαμά μου, one was you 

Traveller across oceans,
to bigger promises & dreams,
you were destined to be our mum,
just as we were destined for you,
three girls, four sets of dreams
& a new reality, a strange new land
you happily embraced as your own 

Where does strength come from?
Is it something we are born with?
Something we must endure,
rise above, or is it passed along,
from one generation to the next,
in a frozen moment,
where hands are held tight,
& gazes lock together in realisation 

How we wish we were babies again,
curled up in your arms,
we could live it all over again,
instead we witness you cut your
60th birthday cake,
at a tavern, where it’s just us,
no partners, no husbands,
no children, but just us,
the original family,
you make your wish,
& maybe the dreams you were promised
may not have come true,
but other dreams did,
& we are a family,
we are our family,
our unique family
that you raised & cherished
& loved –
and you still do

How lucky we all are,
that we were destined for you,
& that you were destined for us too,
& that we are all still here,
enjoying our lives together 

μαμά μου

Glossary

μαμά μου: my mother

Παππούς: grandfather

η μαμά σου: your mother 

Koraly Dimitriadis is the author of Just Give Me the Pills and Love and F--k Poems (which has also been translated into Greek). Koraly also makes films and theatre with her poetry. Her opinion articles/essays have been published widely across the Australian media and in literary journals such as Meanjin, with international publications in The Washington Post, The Guardian and others. For her debut fiction manuscript, Koraly has received the UNESCO City of Literature residency (Krakow) and a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship. She is currently developing her first book of creative non-fiction, Not Till You're Married.

Find out more at koralydimitriadis.com