JERUSALEM STONES

WALKING, WALKING…THE LONELY STREETS

SO QUIET IN THE SHABBAT-DESERTED LANDSCAPEFEW CARS, LITTLE NOISE FINALLY,

AFTER A WEEK OF TRAFFIC AND THROAT-ACIDIC-AIR POLLUTION.THE STONES BEAR WITNESS

SLIPPERY IN THE RAINTREACHEROUS AT TIMES

SO IRRITATINGYET THEY SEEM UNCONCERNED

FOR THE PETTY LIVES AND LOVES OF TODAY’S BROKEN SOULS

THIS CITY OF PARADOXSO MANY FAITHS CROWDED TOGETHER

PEOPLE ISOLATED OR TRAPPED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE MYTHOLOGIES:THE SOUNDS OF THE MUEZZIN MIXES UNHARMONIOUSLY

WITH THE CHURCH BELLS,

THE STEEPLES AND THE MINARETS DOT THE SKYLINEIN COMPETITION FOR THE SOUL OF JERUSALEM.

SO MANY FAITHS EACH CLAIMING ITS OWN TRUTHEACH DISOWNING THE OTHER

EACH SENDING ITS CHILDREN HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONFROM THE DIASPORA

FOR INSPIRATION AND INTENSITY OF STUDYFROM ITS SPIRITUAL TEACHERS,

YET THE “OTHER” SEEMS NOT TO EXISTHOWEVER FATEFULLY FORCED TO LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY

IN THE WET STONE BUILDINGS OF THIS ETERNAL CITY.

THE PARADOX OF THE OLD AND THE NEWTHE EAST AND THE WEST

THE SHTREIMEL AND THE BURKAHTHE  BEKESHE AND THE NUN’S HABIT

THE DENSITY OF PURE PIETY PER SQUARE FOOTCOMPETES WITH HEAVEN ITSELF

FOR THE “TRUTH” ABOUT THE DIVINE.DOES GOD IN FACT SMILE DOWN ON ALL THIS FROM HEAVEN?

I AM DRAWN HEREDESPITE MYSELF

I DON’T LIKE THIS INTENSITYI DON’T LIKE THE HEAT

I DON’T LIKE THE DOWNPOURSI PREFER THE QUIET COOL ROLLING COTSWOLDS…

WHERE IT RAINS SO FINELY THE DRIZZLE DOESN’T BOTHER MEI LIKE TO BE LEFT ALONE FROM PRYING EYES

WHO SIZE ME UP BY MY YARMULKE OR CLOTHINGANALYZING MY SHADE OF ORTHODOXY AND PRAXIS

BY THE IMPLICATION OF LEATHER OR FELT, LENGTH OF JACKET,IT IS ALMOST TOO MUCH, THIS NOISE AND CHATTER, THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY OF TALMUDIC ERUDITION

THIS PRESSURE COOKERWAITING ANY MOMENT TO BURST.

TOO MUCH TO BEAR AT TIMES,THE BLOOD STAINED SIDEWALKS AND CAFÉ HOUSES

OF DR APPLEBAUM AND HIS DAUGHTER,OF CHILDREN OF ALL ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS

SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF PARENTAL AND SOCIETAL AND ETHNIC EXPECTATIONS;

THESE STONES HAVE WITNESSED THE PAIN AND SUFFERINGOF THOSE WILLING TO SURRENDER TO THIS ETERNAL CITY

OF THOSE WILLING TO DIE FOR MYTH AND TEXT AND IDEOLOGYOF THOSE UNWILLING TO BE SCAPEGOATS AGAIN IN HISTORY

“JERUSALEM OF GOLD”THE INSPIRATION OF POETS AND MIDRASH

SHEMER AND AMICHAIBROKE THEIR TEETH ON THESE STONES AND SOIL

THE OLD CITY AND NEWTHE BUSTLING THE CHRISTIAN TOURISTS

CONFIRMING THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THEIR SAVIOURWITH PSEUDO-SCIENCE WILLINGLY PROVIDED BY “CERTIFIED” TOUR GUIDES

IN GERMAN TOUR BUSES WITH A.C. AND CUSHION COMFORT.THIS PART OF EARTH WHERE THE JEWISH FAITHFUL COME TO BE BURIED

HURRIEDLY, FLOWN IN, HEAVY ZINC LINED COFFINSNOW ONLY COVERED IN WHITE CLOTH, COFFINLESS,

FOLLOWED BY MEN IN BEARDS,AN INDUSTRY FOR THE MAFIA/BLACK COATED CHEVRA KADISHAWHO CONTROL FOOD AND GRAVES IN THIS SECULAR COUNTRY.

I WALK BY AN ABANDONES MUSLIM CENETRY OPPOSITE TH LUXURIOUS WLDORF ASTORIA, THE SILENT GRAVES BESPEAKING A DIFFERENT ERA OF

TURKISH RULEAND OBVIOUS GRAVES OF CLASSY AND WEALTHY PATRICIANS BURIED JUST

OUTSIDE THE OLD CITY.

A CITY DROWNING IN A MILLENIA OF TEARS, AN OLD FOTO,CIRCA 1917, GENERAL ALLENBY DISMOUNTS OUT OF DEEP RESPECT

AT THE JAFFA GATE…THE TUKS HAVE LEFT FINALLY AFTER HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF OTTOMAN RULE…

AND THE CHRISTIAN CONQUERER PROCLAIMS A FREE CITY FOR ALL FAITHS (SIC)

THE MULLAHS AND THE PRIESTS AND RABBIS LINED IN A ROW, BOWED IN DEFERENCE,

THE ONLY COMMONALITY IS OBEISANCE TO THE NEW COLONIZERSTHE TURKS AND MARMADUKES THE BRITISH AND THE ZIONISTS

THOSE WHO LOVED THIS CITY OF GOLDMORE THAN LIFE

THOSE WHO WOULD NEVER LEAVE ITS GATES ONCE HAVING ARRIVED(NOT EVEN FOR UMAN!)

THE STUDY OF HALLS OF LEARNINGPIETY AND PUNCTILIOUS OBSERVANCE OF MINUTIAE

(I WATCH THEM EXAMINE THE ARAVOTWITH MICROSCOPIC PRECISION

OR PUSH WILDLY TO GET CLOSER TO THE REBBE IN HIS SUCCAH OR THE FUNERARY BIER OF THE ZADDIK)

THOSE MEN WHO COMB THEIR PAYOT BEFORE THE MIKVEH UNAWARE OF THEIR EFFEMINATE TRIMMINGS

THE SAME MIKVEH THAT COMMANDS “TVOL UTZEH!”(BY THE REBBE OF TOLDOS AVRAHAM YITSCHAK

DEMANDING SILENCE AS THEY WATCH ME AN OUTSIDER IN DIFFERENT CLOTH, DISROBE LIKE AN ALIEN.

THE SAME BLACK COATED MEN WALKING BRISKLY ALONG MEA SHEARIM STREETS,  COMPETING WITH HUGE BUSES CRAWLING THROUGH THE SAME

WINDING ROAD :THAT BASTION OF HASSIDIC/HUNGARIAN PIETY SOME TWO UNCONSCIOUS

MINUTES FROM THE HUGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH AND COMPLEX,THE GRAVES ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, NEXT TO THE AUGUSTA VICTORIA

HOSPITAL HOUSING THE ENORMOUS BELL DONATED BY KAISER FRANZ JOSEF FROM VIENNA,

WHILE THE NUNS WALK TO THEIR MORNING MATIN AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ARMENIAN QUARTER,

PAST PICTURES OF THE FIRST ETHNIC HOLOCAUST 1915-1920 PLASTERED ON JERUSALEM STONE WALLS, (A CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN PIECE OF

HISTORY)THE FAITHFUL MUSLEM MEN BOWING ON THEIR PRAYER MATS ON THE

TEMPLE MOUNT,WHERE, AT DAWN,  JUST BELOW BY THE KOTEL THAT STONE WALL OF

WAILING,THE SEPHARDI MEKUBALIM RECITE THE SIDDUR OF THE RASHASH

NOTHING MAKES SENSE HEREALL ARE HURRYING TO WORSHIP!

ALL ARE CLAIMING THE TRUTHALL ARE CLAIMING EXCLUSIVITY.YET SOMEHOW, PARADOXICALLY

IT ALL DOES.

THE MILITARY PRESENCEALWAYS HOVERING

ALWAYS A THREAT, SEEMINGLY ARBITRARY AT TIMESFOR SOME PROTECTION,

FOR OTHERS OCCUPATION,COLONIALISM REDUX

FOR ALL, UNDESIRED ROAD BLOCKS, BUT NECESSARY

THESE SLIPPERY STONES BEAR WITNESS

TO THE MILLENIA OF CONQUERING ARMIESTO THE PIETY

TO THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT SPILLEDTO THE DESIRE AND FERVENT HOPE FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

(OR HIS POSSIBLE SECOND COMING?)AND THE CONTINUING WRANGLING OVER PIECES OF REAL ESTATE,

POLITICS AND WHEELING DEALING OVER SQUARE METRES.THE “SETTLEMENT EXPANSION” AND THE CLEAR DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN RED TILED ROOF SETTLEMENTS AND ARAB VILLAGES FROM AFAR, THE FACTS ON

THE GROUND EVIDENT TO ALL. THE NEW  ONCE PROUD LIGHT RAIL WINDS ITS WAY THROUGH EAST JERUSALEM AND. WITH ALL THE HIGH TECH, NEW

TERROR TACTICS AT STATIONS ALONG THE WAY LIKE THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS.

THIS JERUSALEM OF STONE,THAT GETS UNDER THE SKIN AND NEVER LEAVES

THAT INFURIATES AND IRRITATESBUT NEVER RELIEVES,

LIKE A MIGRAINE ONE MUST ENDUREPHOTOPHOBIC AND UNABLE TO FOCUS ON ANYTHING BUT THE PAIN

THESE STONES REMAINAS WITNESS AS TESTIMONY

OF ITS ETERNITY…

I WALKED THESE STONES FIRST AT AGE 16 AND NOW,I HAVE LIVED MY LIFE,

THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED.I HAVE FAILED AS DORIAN GREY

THEY HAVE REMAINED STEADFASTTHIS MADDENING CITY

SHE POINTS HER ACCUSING FINGER,SHE AFFORDS NO TOLERANCE FOR ANYONE

WHATEVER THEIR CONVICTION, RELIGION, SECTWHO COMPROMISE THEIR VALUES,

ALL WHO LIVE HEREMUST LIVE FULLY AND WITHOUT PITY

WHATEVER THE COST.ALL MUST ENDURE THE SLIPPERINESS OF HER SURFACES

AND THE IMMUTABILITY OF HER PAVEMENTS.

THIS IS JERUSALEM.