THE REPLIES TO NESE YASIN 
                                    NEOFITOS TALIOTIS 

  Nese 
          We heard that 
          One must love her homeland. 
          Your father and my father 
          say the same thing. 
          Now we are reaching our hands 
          in the divided homeland of ours 
          but they get stained with blood on barbed wire. 
          I am going to wait for you anyway 
          Tomorrow at the same time 
          to give you a carnation 
          on your birthday 
          but I won't be able to put it to your hair 
          I am going to throw it over the barbed wire 
          so that it won't smell blood 
          That flower that looks so much like our hearts. 
   
          You wrote in your most recent letter 
          that our homeland is divided 
          and you are asking me 
          Which part of it should we love first 
          Nese 
          Do not split your heart into pieces 
          Make it a free pigeon 
          that can go everywhere 
          A bird without a passport.