IOANNIS KARAJOLI

IOANNIS KARAJOLI

Behind The Borders

I travel

I collect experiences

I apologise to nature

I gaze at the environment

I reflect behaviours

I enjoy beauty

I enrich my spirit and my soul

My thought overflows

with joy

together with beautiful strokes.

Travel Bird

For immigrant poets

It started its trip before

its winds had even opened.

Yet, on a warm day

It decided to leave the airy

climate of Middle East.

It waved a signal and set out

like a big vessel.

So, I remember my late mother

Telling me:

“Jwan, your water is finished”

You must go now.

So, I went as I had dreamt

as a child to visit

as many foreign countries as possible.

Adventure and opportunism

attracted me.

This is how the swallow flew away

from its parents’ nest.

I kept looking from above at the big ships

of the Mediterranean leaving

for the cold Atlantic waters,

to the western world.

The Emigrant Bird

This is how have always called me

my teachers in Romania.

The bird started its trip

Before even its wings were ready.

Yet, the departure time arrived.

It decided to leave the warm climate

of Middle East.

It rose high to the clear

sky of Damascus

to say forever goodbye to

the beautiful civilization.

It chose the refuge’s road

and from now on it is part

of the immigrant poets’ family.

Mother knew that her child

was never to come back,

when telling him:

“Jwan, your water is finished here,

you must leave”.

So, I left, as I had dreamt in my childhood,

to visit as many countries as possible.

Adventure and change attracted me.

This is how the swallow flew with

ardour from Middle East.

It left its nest to its brothers

and kept looking from above

the big ships of the Mediterranean

Leaving for the cold waters

of the Atlantic.

IOANNIS KARAJOLI

IOANNIS KARAJOLI (JWAN KARAJOLI): Is a Greek poet, born in Syria on 09/01/1951 in Efrin city , north from Aleppo. His family is of Kurdish origin. He spent his early childhood in the city of Efrin where his father served as e Prefect. His mother, Amina Seicho, was a gifted and charismatic woman, with numerous artistic qualities . His father, Adnan Karajoli, was a writer- lawyer who fought for the rights of the beloved Syrian people . In the spring of 1955 the Karajoli family was relocated to Damascus, where they had previously resided. He had the opportunity to study in beautiful Romania, at the Bucharest Dentistry School and he finished his studies by acquiring the specialty of Orthodontist. After he completed his course of studies, he had the opportunity to visit Greece, after being invited by his Greek fellow students. Since then, 34 years of creative work have passed, delving in the area of orthodontics and literature. He is a founding member of a Greek association for Orthodontic study and research, with an Honorary distinction at the 9th Pan-Hellenic orthodontic congress (Athens 2006). He barely felt as a foreigner in Greece. He received the love of the Greek people and he still enjoys it, here in beautiful Thessaloniki, Macedonia. In the summer of 1985, the Muse bestowed her gift on the poet, thus he started writing his first verses. His first poetic collection was published in 2011 under the title “Colors of an Era “, from ALDE publishing. He is a member of the Litterateurs Association of Northern Greece and of the cultural social institution “Amphictyonic League of Hellenism”. He received ‘Honorary Distiction’ at the 4th International Poetic Contest on “Hellenic speech, Light of the World” (Thessaloniki, May 3rd , 2014) . He gave a lecture at the 3rd International Amphictyons Congress on : The History of Hellenic-Syrian Culture the took place at the French Institute of Thessaloniki (May 2014) , at the festival : Celebration of Multilingualism on :Language and Communication (Municipaltiy of Thessaloniki, May 30th and 31st 2014) at the “1st Panhellenic Contest –Bequest of Nana Kontou 2010” by the Association of the Smyrnian people of Asia minor in northern Greece , with his poem titled “Smyrna” (Thessaloniki, November 20th 2010). His work under the title “Colours of an Era “  was published on the magazine “Critique of Language and Art , positions and views “ (50th issue ,May –July 2015).