SICILY : A HAIBAN
We see the broken stones of the past
remnants of power, now strewn on arid soil, faiths of centuries pass.
We stop to wonder at these fragments. Are we like them ?
Invisible roots reach deep into the red earth of our shared origins
our foundations.
Conquerors came — Phoenicians, Greeks, Goths, Arabs, Byzantines, Normans —
such flowering of artistry and power. Square tombs, huge temples, sacrificial altars,
mosaic story-boards alive with movement.
See how the conquerors became the conquered.
We yearn to belong
Boasting our supremacy
Then return to dust.
January 8, 2019 at 12:20 pm
Dear Francine,
Wonderfully written. The last three lines are stunning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
January 7, 2019 at 1:13 am
My friend Bjorn writes Halibans, I think they are so interesting. I liked yours. I liked the thought of ‘mosaic story-boards’.
January 7, 2019 at 11:40 am
Thanks – Appreciate your feedback. I’m fond of Haibans – I like the freedom of the prose part & the tightness of the haiku part.
January 6, 2019 at 1:05 am
Very strong and moving.
January 6, 2019 at 10:21 am
Thank you – appreciate your feedback. I felt inspired by all those layers of history in Sicily.
January 5, 2019 at 9:04 pm
Such is the cycle, or so it would seem. Austerely beautiful phrasings….
January 6, 2019 at 10:22 am
Glad you like the writing Violet. Sort of culture that inspires such thoughts I guess.