Divided City

Photograph by Alice Karayianni

I grew up in a divided capital.

As teenagers and young adults, we’d spend a lot of time right by the border, in the old town of Nicosia. The city seemed to pause there. It didn’t feel heavy then: backgammon dice striking wooden boards, laughter spilling out of local coffee shops, the scent of jasmine in the warm air, and long conversations that stretched late into the evening. My paradise for photography.

Some of my friends lived on the other side. Just knowing each other and sharing ordinary moments across a “line” felt like a small way of refusing the distance we had inherited. It felt important somehow, as if we were contributing to something bigger.

Life has moved on since those days. The border that once felt like the centre of our world now sits somewhere in the background of everyday life. But the memory of that feeling still lives in me, and I find myself hoping that my children will know it too.

The instinct to bridge the line shouldn’t disappear with our generation.

As elections approach and the island once again debates its future, I find myself thinking back to those evenings by the border and the simple friendships that quietly crossed it.

Slow Resistance

Melting by Evgeny Grinko

The world feels like it is coming apart; 
Power doing what power does,
Same old story.

And here I am, nursing close,
A knee digging into my ribs,
Breathing us both back into calm.

It’s easy to think this is small work,
Invisible work.

But this is where nervous systems settle,
Where trust gets built,
Where the next version of the world quietly forms.

Maybe this is what actually holds the world together.

By Alice Karayianni

Motherhood

Crimson Skies by Spring Bunny

 

I am deep into the season of motherhood. 

My body, my attention, my thoughts, my entire being;

Everything has shifted to make space for this love.

And the love is immense;

Bigger than I imagined.

It has rearranged me from the inside out.

I feel more open,

More tender,

More certain about what matters.

There is something deeply right about being here with you.

About letting this love shape me.

About allowing motherhood to change who I am - or who I thought I was.

By Alice Karayianni

2026

 

Simple Life by Daniela Mlčúchová

It is past midnight; your daddy and I come to bed. The day is over, the year has turned, and you are here, fast asleep.

Lying down beside you feels like coming home; there’s nowhere else we’d rather be, nothing else we need.

We feel light in these moments. Happy. Our hearts bursting with love and gratitude.

We are so lucky to have you to come back to; so lucky that this is our life, and that we get to be your parents.

We fall asleep next to you, smiling.

If every year begins like this, we are already blessed.

Love Is

Love is -
your shoulder under my cheek
when the world feels too much
(and somehow, it never is
when you’re near).

It’s your voice,
low and certain,
when I am full of questions.

It’s the way your hands
have memorised the shape of our days;
The quiet gestures,
The rhythm of small things,
the look across the room.

It’s the steady weight of your body beside mine
at the end of another long day;
the stillness
you bring
into every storm.

This is the love I come home to;
This is the love that made me a mother, 
without ever letting me forget
I was yours first.

By Alice Karayianni

Father's Day

There is a certain kind of love that doesn’t raise its voice.
It shows up in the early mornings and the late nights,
In the way the dishes get done without a word.

Fatherhood is found
In the subtle shift of priorities.
In the stroller walks, the car rides just for sleep,
The dancing in the living room when no one’s watching.
It’s in the way you keep showing up for us 

Wholeheartedly.

Because of you
We breathe a little easier.

We are so grateful for you
And we love you;
Every single day.

By Alice Karayianni

Mother's Day

Today, I hold space for the quiet miracles;
The sleepy feeds, the soft morning light,
The way your tiny hand finds mine in the dark.

I didn’t know motherhood would make me feel
both stretched and rooted all at once.
But here I am, more myself than I have ever been.

Happy Mother’s Day
To all of us finding our rhythm
in the gentlest, fiercest love.

By Alice Karayianni

Ode to Africa

Saya by Sona Jobarteh

It has been over a year since our trip, but, whatever it was that was ignited within us, is still there. It was a trip that shifted our perspective, that made us realise that magic is always burning bright.

From tracking wildlife at sunrise, at sunset, to snorkelling in the reefs of the Indian Ocean, we witnessed beauty so mesmerising we’d forget to breathe. From having wine, wine and more wine at centuries-old wine estates, to sipping on local rum while enjoying the crisp of the ocean breeze.

We drummed and we danced to rhythms that touched our being; we felt so grounded we couldn’t help but be in the moment. We witnessed kindness, humbleness, authenticity; personalities that genuinely left a mark on us.

What a wake-up call, what a way to hit pause; to see the world differently and to soak up the beauty in the present. As the plane prepared for take-off, on the way back home, I felt tears trickle down my cheeks. I had this bittersweet feeling; a mixture of profound gratitude, but also a certain weight on my chest. I felt like I was leaving a part of me behind.

“When you are in Africa you feel primordial, rocked in the cradle of the world.”

Africa, you made our sole soar; we will be back.

Heaven’s Light

A Mirror Appears by Ramel Alloy

There is no better feeling than being home and knowing that everything I will ever need is within these walls.  

In this moment, my heart is so full.

I look at you and think about how we found each other. It took three encounters, but they do say “third time’s a charm”. Some people may say it’s chance, but I’ll call it fate. 

In this moment, happiness is all I feel.

These Days

Interlude by ABBOTT (feat. Canea Quartett)

They say it takes time for you to feel like yourself again after having a baby. Suddenly, you are a place constantly sought for comfort, nourishment, sleep. There are no rain checks, you have to be all in.

I may not get much time to myself these days, yet nothing beats the feeling of knowing that, for this short period of time, I am your world; of knowing that it is in my power to ensure that you will always feel safe, protected and taken care of.

Somehow, these days I feel more like myself than ever before. 

It’s Gold

Rêverie by Debussy

What’s the chemical element associated with the symbol Au?”

There comes a day when there is a whole new life in your hands. Suddenly, it is not only about keeping yourself alive; you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with a new sense of responsibility. 

On nights like these, our baby happily suckles away as we play trivia to pass the time. She stares at me with eyes filled with wonder for this new world. Eventually, she falls asleep again. 

It is only the beginning, but I cannot help but wonder how long these nights will last; I try to take it all in because I know they won’t last forever.

“It’s gold.”

These Moments

Heaven’s Light by David Tolk

It’s Spring again.

We sleep with open windows 

These days;

The cool breeze gently brushes off our bodies

In the early hours.

The warm rays of the rising sun 

Penetrate through the curtains

And I wake up to your soft kisses on my back,

As our morning ritual unfolds.

In these moments

I know I have all the answers;

My heart is full.

By Alice Karayianni

This Life

Photograph by Arcade Fire

There are moments in life 

I’ll never get enough of 

and that makes me realise 

how blessed I am 

to have those moments 

to call my own; 

to have moments 

I feel grateful for 

and cherish deeply.

I wouldn’t take any other life.

 

By Alice Karayianni

Always Spring

As the World Goes Away by Lights & Motion

The winter sun is coming in through the window, but if you forget about the cold then it doesn't feel like winter any more. Flowers are already in bloom and the days are getting longer. It's time to reinvent one's self, to breathe life into our heart and soul and bones. I always thought of myself as a summer child, but the older I get the more I realise that my favourite month is the month of May.

It’s always Spring
In my heart,
It’s been a while now.

If I know what love is, it is because of you.

The shape of our mutual dream
Unfolds before us
And I cannot wait for it
To take us away.

Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.

By Alice Karayianni

Late Afternoon

What do you go home to? by Explosions in the Sky

It's late afternoon
And we're riding our bikes
In the neighbourhood I've come
To love so much.

How strange
The Spring twilight is;
A crimson horizon
Filled with hopes,
An infinite landscape.

And I think about how magical
Ordinary things can be,
How the best moments
Are the unanticipated ones.

By Alice Karayianni

2022

Photograph by Alice Karayianni

Each of us is given

only so many mornings -

to look around and love

Here's to always being present to the moment and being mindful enough to recognise how to make the most of it.

Happy 2022 to all! ❤

Our Kitchen

Reverie L.68 by Claude Debussy

We are dancing in our kitchen
Late at night.
It's the end of the summer,
And the windows are open.
A soft breeze is coming in
Carrying a faint familiar odor,
Jasmine.
You kiss me softly and
I can't help but laugh,
As I trip over my own feet.
Everything is wonderful.

By Alice Karayianni

My Ruby

Photograph by Alice Karayianni

I couldn't quite understand
What it felt like to grieve,
Until I lost you.

Now I know what it feels like
To have all this love
That you cannot give,
To have all this love

With no place to go.

Instead, it gathers up in
The corner of my eyes;
The lump in my throat;
The heaviness in my chest.

You are the Ruby of my heart
And nothing will ever change that.

Love you infinitely.

22/06/2021

By Alice Karayianni

Falling Star (2021)

Nocturnes 4 by Craig Armstrong

Big city lights,
Like flickering dots
In the distance.

I always associated
The tranquil smell
Of lavender
With this place;
Soft, yet strong.

Tonight I saw
A falling star and,
For once,
I knew exactly
What to wish for.

By Alice Karayianni

Summer Weekend

Photograph by Alice Karayianni

The weekend again;
Salty skin and wet kisses,
Soft sunsets and
The briny scent of the sea
Tickling our noses.
Small pleasures.

By Alice Karayianni