MEZQUITA TWILIGHT

A keyhole

An arch

A shaft of light

From several gods

Points the way.

Crimson and white

Wash your hands

Embrace the shade

She offers

The scent of lemons 

Grenadine and musk

And her skin

Her breath

Bronze and mint.

Kneel and pray

Face the east

Face your fate

You can’t turn away.

Beneath these stones

You’ll lie forever

Under a world you built

For a world you can’t understand.

Be still.

Be as one.

Hush.

Salam.

ARABIAN SUNSET

A curtain is drawn
I shield my eyes
To not see
But I feel
Despite the years
And all the tears.
A fountain springs
Brings to life
Memories that bless.
Behind the veil
She calls to me

Pulls my world into hers.
A butterfly dies
Beauty begs for life
A keyhole closes
A lock turns.
And I try to understand
But I’m weak.
Her face fades
And a church rises
Where once we lay.

Al-Andalus Winter

Stones
Tell tales. 
Listen. 
They speak.
They’re speaking now.
Touch their cold hard hearts
Faintly beating.
A Moor cries
A Jew sighs
Every day for centuries.
Beauty buried deep
Crawls from the very walls
They built.
And I stand here
Feeling guilt.
I know not why –
But these stones,
And their stories
Will not die.
Listen.

LOVE SONG TO CORDOBA

It hurts my heart to leave 
To slip away
At an early hour
Like the lover
I never thought I’d be
Leaving behind
Your scented breath
Your olive skin.
Beneath your gaze
I could lie for hours
Listening to your stories
Sharing all your glories
And feelings of sadness
Deep inside you
When your world
Was turned upside down
Forever.
But your beauty
Hasn’t faded
You’ll lure me back again
I know.
Take my hand
Through narrow
Whitewashed floral streets
And caress my cheeks
With your orange blossom kisses
Beneath the ancient
Crescent moon
Who watches over you
Every Arabian night
Til I can return
And let you
Fold me once more 
In your soft brown arms
Your magical love…..
Your Cordoban charms

THE MOOR’S PROMISE

(Boabdil and his mother -January 2nd 1492)

An unforgiving sun
Beats down
Like a Christian sword
Destroying the fabric
Of the land
And all that holds her world together.
Incessant drumming
Pierces her skull
Leaving her already torn senses
To scatter in the warm wind
Like a dead bird’s feathers.
She sighs.
Then weeps.
Gazes silently
At the beckoning Alpujarras.
Aware of filial eyes
Scanning her posture
Looking to see if she too
Is breaking.
She spies an eagle.
Wings buckling
Beneath the weight
Of the hard Granadan air.
It is a sign.
She knows.
The king is bending his knee.
To a tyrant.
Right is on their side
But today Allah is not.
She turns
Now dry eyed
And her son
In regal red
Bows.
Hols out his hand.
We will return
He whispers.
Our time is not of the here and now.
But we leave our breath
Our beating hearts
Burning
Beneath the Gates of the Seven Floors.
One day.
We will arise.
Spanish Moors.
Proud and defiant.
Now
Seal the doors
‘Til we once more
We ride through.
No tears.
No last sigh.
We hand over keys
That are physical.
But the keys we keep
Cannot be taken
Cannot be copied.
They were forged
Eight hundred years ago.
As we ride
Look forward –
Never back.
Mother – take my hand.
We may be leaving
Our land
But –

Our blood,
Our soul
Will forever be
Within these walls.

This jewel.
This Alhambra.
This
Granada.

Song to Seville – La Esperanza

A hand across time

Reaches out to touch you

To touch your heart

To hold your pulse

And beat with you.

Slowly…..

You breather together –

Both imbibe

The orange blossom

The cinnamon

The jasmine

That perfume your world.

Her dark eyes

Are your eyes

Scouring the street.

Her ears your ears

Listening for voices

Soft and discreet

While whispered promises

‘Neath silken sheets

Of heavenly hues

Take you back to the time

When she was your muse.

Then the toll of a bell

Breaks the thousand year spell

And the sun of Seville

Rips the curtain in two.

And her hand slips from yours

Back to Arabic shores.

But this Andalus dream

Will not go away

She’s bitten you deep

And you’re in her sway.

Now sleep…

Til the next time

Her open palm

Offers you a chance

Of hope.

Of love.

Of mystical charm.

Listen Hard

Córdoba 2018

Listen hard

Listen well

Córdoba

Toledo

My heart

Your bell

I’m here

A constant.

When you change

I’ll know.

We wait

Spain and I

I’m chained here

Can’t lie.

But I need you

Or my land’s a country  

With a missing piece.

Can you see?

Madrid?

A man?

A love? 

A plea?

Don’t free me.

Till you’re sure.

I’ll stay

Forever.

Waiting.

Til you’re here.

Til you knock

Til you open

My door.