Berlin

Berlin's a place that contradicts -
It's vibrant, but it's haunting,
The paradigm of hipness, with
A history most daunting.

The damage done in World War II
Reduced it to a rubble 
And then the famous wall went up,
Which led to years of trouble.

You can't forget (and never should)
The Nazi reign of terror.
Memorials abound atoning
For that awful era.

Yet everything has been restored.
You won't see ancient buildings,
But modern takes of what was lost,
Replete with domes and gildings.

This is a city worth a trip,
With coolness overriding,
Defiant that to all the world
Its past will not be hiding.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

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Hinshaw Avatar
May 25, 2018 at 7:33 PM
We visited Berlin when I was assigned to Frankfurt Am Main with the AF and I worked in the huge IG Farben Bldg downtown. Took the train and airplane (escorted by Russian fighter planes) in for official business when the wall was still up and there was still some damage. I was assigned to Bermuda, Morocco, Japan & Germany during my career and Germany was the best assignment since it gave us the opportunity to travel all over Europe. An excellent write as usual. Bob
Bauer Avatar
June 4, 2018 at 4:06 PM
thanks, bob! you certainly had a fascinating career and you were lucky to get to travel to all those cool places. it was very interesting to see the remnants of the wall after reading all about it when it was being torn down...
Allison Avatar
May 25, 2018 at 11:15 AM
It sounds like a fascinating place to visit Ilene, I've never been to Berlin but do like Germany :-) hugs Jan xx
Bauer Avatar
June 4, 2018 at 4:07 PM
i think you'd really like berlin, jan - a really different city from anyplace else i've ever been...
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