Kore, Child of Diaspora by Nico Vickers

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Her childhood smells of springtime

In the Mediterranean

Olive picking in the morning

Fingers briny with sea water and vinegar

Not a pomegranate in sight

The evening brings gatherings

They celebrate the bloom of the vineyard

Village women singing melisma and

The cry of the harmonika

Cigarette ends on the plastic table from

The ritual of family dinner the night before

Something she never thought to take for granted

Overnight

Brothers turn on brothers

Her homeland becomes war torn

As she is dragged from sleep, from her bed

Across the sea

The boat docks where concrete reigns king

The tongue is choppy and nasal

They cannot pronounce her name at the gates

So it stays

In the olive grove

Buried under bullet casings

And shattered amphoras

Bio

Nico Vickers is a teacher, writer, and poet. At 18, she was awarded the Silver Key from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She holds a B.A. in English Education. She has roots in Croatia, Ireland, and the southern United States, frequently drawing upon the folklore and landscape of each for inspiration. She is enthralled by animals of all kinds, plants, and stories of both. Most notably, her work has been featured in the The Word’s Faire and Querencia Press. She is currently writing her debut novel, Ivy.