During the closing ceremony of the first stage of the “Ari Tun” Program, 17-year old Georgian-Armenian Hasmik Sargsyan recited her poem in Armenian, and here it is:

Grow and become stronger, my Armenia,

The shelter of all Armenians,

Your children in foreign lands

are always heartfelt towards you.

Become stronger, my Mother Armenia,

So that you become our future,

We speak in your language, live with hope for you,

And we always take pride in you.

But you call us, my mother Armenia,

I’ll wait for your call every second,

Call me home like my mother calls me,

Stand up for your land, my dear!

Hasmik wrote this poem when she found out that she was going to visit Armenia.

“I have been writing since the 4^th grade. My poems are published in the “Arevik” children’s newspaper in Georgia.

When I found out that I was going to participate in the “Ari Tun” Program, I automatically wrote this poem and wanted to recite it during the closing ceremony of the “Ari Tun” Program.”

Hasmik is in Armenia for the first time ever.

“This is my first visit to the homeland and I have great impressions. Some youth and I were hosted in Byureghavan city of Kotayk province. The host families cordially received us and we felt great. We became so close that we were crying when it was time to bid each other farewell.

I liked everything in Armenia-the nature, our Yerevan and the people’s attitudes. I liked Noravank Monaster, Garni, Geghard and Etchmiadzin the most.”

When I asked Hasmik if she had managed to write any poems during her stay in Armenia, she said she hadn’t, but there was a lot that she had to say.

“I haven’t written any poem in Armenia, but there is so much in my heart and soul that it will definitely “come out” and be expressed in the form of poems.

You know, it’s as if I’m at home. I don’t want to go.

I would like to live and study in Armenia and listen to Armenian being spoken everywhere. No matter how much I speak Armenian at home and in school, it’s different here.

I’ll be taking with me my great impressions, the love, the warmth and the feeling of patriotism. I’ll go and tell everyone about our Armenia, the people’s attitudes, our land and water, our Yerevan, Armenian songs and dances and everything that I saw and learned here.

When we were coming from Georgia in the bus, everything was typical, but when we reached the border, I changed a little. It seemed as though I was going home.

I would like to wish that all my peers return home. Only in the homeland do you feel that you are home.

I’m grateful to the “Ari Tun” Program for allowing me to make many friends, see Armenia get acquainted with the country up close and meet Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.”

Lusine Abrahamyan