Κουβέντα με ένα λουλούδι • Conversation with a flower
One of my first performances that I remember as a child (I was six) is one where I was dressed up as a Cyclamen flower (!)
I was wearing a sleeveless pale-pink bodysuit with a grey modal flowing skirt at knee length.
I was running, moving along and dancing in between cheap-looking grey painted polystyrene blocks that symbolised actual big real rocks accompanied by a song/poem by Greek poet Giannis Ritsos, with music by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.
The poem is about the cyclamen flower; how in the most adverse conditions it will always find its place in the sun and show off its strength and delicate beauty.
The poem is part of 18 short songs/poems of the bitter Motherland ( 18 Λιανοτράγουδα της Πικρής Πατρίδας) and Giannis Ritsos wrote it in secret whilst in exile (exiled by the Greek military Junta) in Leros island after Mikis Theodorakis’s request.
It was first recorded in Paris in 1973 and first performed in London at the Royal Albert hall.
It refers to the deprivation of liberty and freedom of speech under the 7 year Greek Junta dictatorship between 1967-1974 and uses the cyclamen as a metaphor of resistance, strength and perseverance.
Today, Ritsos is considered one of the great Greek poets of the twentieth century, alongside Constantine P. Cavafy, Kostas Kariotakis, Angelos Sikelianos, Giorgos Seferis, and Odysseas Elytis. He was nominated for the Nobel prize of literature numerous times.
I’m still trying to remember if my mother made it to the performance or not. I also remember a beautiful friend dancing with me called Chrysanthi -her name meaning Golden flowers.
Whenever I see Cyclamens around me I can’t help but remember this moment. It feels like having a conversation with a flower.
Κυκλαμινο κυκλάμινο
Στου βράχου τη σχισμάδα
Πού βρήκες χρώματα κι ανθείς
Πού μίσχο και σαλεύεις
Μέσα στο βράχο σύναξα
Το γαίμα στάλα στάλα
Μαντήλι ρόδινο έπλεξα
Κι ήλιο μαζεύω τώρα.
Γιάννης Ρίτσος
