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 Ειρήνη 
 
A child’s dream is peace 
A mother’s dream is peace 
The words of love under the trees,  
That is peace.
  
A father who gets back at dusk with a  
wide twinkle in his eyes 
with a straw bag in his hands full of fruits 
and the sweat drops on his forehead 
are like the drops of the earthen pot which 
freeze up the water on the window, 
that is peace. 
  
When the scars from the wounds heal 
on the world’s face  
and in the pits that the bombshells dug 
we plant trees 
and in the hearts that the fire burned, 
the first blossoms of hope burst 
and the dead can lean on their side 
and fall asleep without  lament 
while they know that their blood wasn’t wasted. 
That is peace.
  
Peace is the smell of food in the 
evening 
when the stop of a car in the 
street causes no fear, 
when a knock on the door means 
a friend 
and the opening of the window every hour 
means the sky 
that entertains our eyes 
with its colorful bells, 
that is peace.
  
Peace is a glass of hot milk and a 
book in the face of the child who wakes up.  
When wheat ears lean to each other  
saying: the light, the light, the light, 
and the horizon’s ring bristles with light 
That is peace.
  
When prisons are turned   
into libraries 
when a song comes up from 
sill to sill at night 
when the spring moon comes out from 
a cloud 
just like the workman comes out from the neighborhood’s barber-shop, 
fresh-shaven,  
on Saturday night 
That is peace.
  
When the day that passed 
isn’t a day gone  
but it’s the root that grows its leaves 
of joy in the evening 
and it’s a day earned and a fair 
sleep 
when you feel the sun tying its strings again,  
hastily 
to chase the sorrow from  
time’s corners 
That is peace.
  
Peace is the rays’haystacks on 
summer’s plains 
it’s the alphabet of kindness 
on dawn’s knees. 
when you say: my brother – when we say: tomorrow we will 
build 
when we build and sing 
That is peace.
  
When death takes up little space at 
heart 
and the chimneys show happiness with  
confident fingers 
when the nightfall’s big carnation  
can be smelt by both the poet and the 
proletarian 
That is peace.
  
Peace is shaking hands of people 
It’s the hot bread at the world’s table 
It’s a mother’s smile 
It’s only this. 
Peace is nothing else. 
And the plows that draw (dig) deep  
furrows all over the earth 
they draw only one name: 
Peace. Nothing else. Peace. 
Upon the rails of my verse 
the train that runs to the future 
heavy with wheat and roses 
That is peace.
  
My brothers,  
In peace, all people breathe freely 
with all their dreams. 
Shake hands, my brothers, 
That is peace. 
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