FOR GRANTED (ΜΑ ΧΑΝΕΙΣ) Simple pleasures, yet refined A deep blue sea, a bright blue sky you always took for granted Till one day you woke up to find The world you safely left behind is now all gone and drowning in the darkness Κι’ ακολουθεί το βλέμμα σου τα κύματα Για να μην το τραβήξουνε η στάχτη και οι φλόγες Κάνεις πως τον αέρα τον συνήθισες κι ας κουβαλάει μυρωδιές εφιαλτικές Ανάμεσα σε στάχτες κολυμπάς κι ανάσα σου βαραίνει ενώ χορεύουν στο μυαλό σου οι στιγμές Σκέφτεσαι αυτά που αγαπάς κι αναρωτιέσαι τι απομένει Θες στο κρασί σου να πνιγείς, να πάψεις πια να κλαις Και στα χείλη σου κολλάει, στάχτη μαύρη Και μαζεύω τους λυγμούς μου δάκρυ-δάκρυ Και στα χείλη μου κολλάει, στάχτη, μαύρη Και μετρώ πια τα κουφάρια από άκρη σ’άκρη When you were young You hid and sought In forests dense and green, and brought back treasures Mother nature had to offer And now back to mother you run To find the carcass she’s become ‘It’s too late kid, the damage done’ Χιλιοκαμένη Ελλάδα μου, σπαράζεις για τα σπλάχνα που ανέθρεψες καρτερικά στην πράσινη σου αγκάλη. Για δυο φράγκα σε βούτηξαν στου χάρου το μαγκάλι Σε ρήμαξαν και σ’άφησαν στο έρμαιο της βροχής Λαμπαδιασμένη γη μου εσύ, αιμορραγείς και τρέμεις Σπίθες χαράζουν σύνορα θανάτου και ζωής Κι όμως, στη μάχη ρίχνεσαι με δυο λιωμένες μπότες Να σώσεις τα παιδιά σου από το πέπλο της σιωπής μα χάνεις, και θα χαθείς Και στα χείλη μου κολλάει, στάχτη μαύρη Και μαζεύω τους λυγμούς μου δάκρυ-δάκρυ Και στα χείλη μου κολλάει, στάχτη μαύρη Και μετράω τα κουφάρια από άκρη σ’άκρη Simple pleasures you can find A deep blue sea and bright blue sky You always took for granted... TRANSLATION Simple pleasures, yet refined A deep blue sea, a bright blue sky you always took for granted Till one day you woke up to find The world you safely left behind is now all gone and drowning in the darkness [So you make your gaze follow the waves Lest the raging blaze that lights the darkness pull it. You act as if you’ve gotten used to the smell in the air despite the nightmares it carries You’re swimming among ashes and your breathing’s getting heavier while precious moments dance around in your head You think about what you love and wonder what’s left of it You want to drown in your wine to stop yourself from crying Black ash sticks to your lips, As you gather your sobs tear by tear Black ash sticks to your lips, As you count the carcasses in the horizon] When you were young You hid and sought In forests dense and green, and brought back treasures Mother Nature had to offer And now back to mother you run To find the carcass she’s become ‘It’s too late kid, the damage done’ [My dear, charred motherland, so used by now to being aflame, you sob for the children that you once nurtured in your green embrace. For a few quid they threw you in the brazier of hell, tore you apart and left you at the mercy of the rain) My earth, my bleeding, trembling mother Sparks are etching on you borders between life and death And yet, in melting boots, you throw yourself into the battle To save your children from the veil of silence - but you are losing and you’ll soon be gone... Black ash sticks to my lips, As I gather my sobs tear by tear Black ash sticks to my lips, As I count the carcasses in the horizon] Simple pleasures you can find A deep blue sea, a bright blue sky You always took for granted… ABOUT THIS SONG I wrote this song after the devastating wildfires in Greece in 2021, while I was on vacation in a campsite near Evia, where fires raged for over a week. The poem was inspired by personal experience and accounts from friends and family. We all knew someone who either had to flee their home, try to put out the fires themselves to protect it or help their neighbours evacuate. While very few human lives were lost in the fires, The extent of the environmental and property damage, as well as loss of wildlife, was immense, mainly due to the criminal negligence of the Greek government who did nothing to stop them spreading. A total of 428 forest fires were recorded between July and August all over the country, with a total of 126.53 acres burnt and 4 fatalities. Entire villages disappeared. Hundreds (if not thousands) of homes were destroyed.