The Al-Andalus Quartet: Part Three
THE AL-ANDALUS QUARTET: PART THREE
GRANADA / KHARNATA 1492 AD / 897 AH
I live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
with my beautiful sisters Albaicin and Sabikah
The crown that I wear is al-hisn al-hamra
and the shadow of my Spanish self is a City
of Islam
The cool mountain waters that nourish
my gardens of intoxicating bouquets and the
colors of paradise, are washing away the prayer call
of the muezzin, the rituals of the faithful, the final
veneer of my people on this land
Many must leave, take their arts and their sciences
to Fez and Meknes, to the rarified air in the brown
upland valleys of the Rif and the Atlas to inlay
themselves in the crystals of sand which, driven
by winds, must reshape the walls of North Africa’s
soul
But here we remain, poised to continue as echoes
and apparitions, distorted reflections in the historical
mirror, the dominant element in the paradoxical
palimpsest of the regional landscape, enchanting,
seductive, that as Al-Andalus becomes Andalucia,
the victorious colors of Castilla and Leon become the
newest of flowers in the mosaic of gardens among
the wandering alleys, within the highest of walls,
behind the wrought-iron gates and the crafted wood
doors in the slowly disintegrating mists of
remembrance between shadow and form
in the spirit of Granada
Emanuel Carter
Copyright © Emanuel Carter | Year Posted 2021
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment