To stroll the walls of the Old City
is to walk a line surrounding history.
Outside is modern life, bustling streets
lined with hotels and tourist shops.
Inside is rich tradition, much older
and long the vortex of many faiths.
Many pilgrims fill the lanes to visit
the temples, mosques, and churches.
Tiny gardens behind homes of stone
are shaded by ancient trees.
Their branches reach out and, in some places,
cover the city walls like curtains.
Narrow lanes open into wider streets
with busy shops and open stalls.
Men sit sipping coffee,
fingering their prayer beads or just talking.
Women crouch in the shade of inner courtyards,
sorting beans and legumes—and talking.
How is it that some call this place,
the world’s biggest thorn in the side?
© 1973, Kenneth Koziol. All rights reserved.
