(With apologies to Dylan Thomas)
This day winding up now,
At dog speeded tether’s end,
In the fast heating sun,
In my sleep forsaken house,
Bombarded and rocked;
Drubbed by bark, beep and hoot,
Crash, boom, thud and drill
From road and neighbour’s roof
Or room he expands,
And from sites across
The wadi; stunned by wails
Of sirens and roars of men
Shackled with phones, whose deals
To me are dire threats
Of future hellish noise;
Dream I on secret dells
Protected by trees,
Eternal chirrups away
From this city of shrines
And rites whose towers will snatch
The messianic wind
Blasted from Mammon’s maw.
Oh, I would love to sing
Like Dylan in his songs
From Laugharne: a blissful act,
A requiem within
A synagogue of woods
And Zion of bird blessed sound…
But the wails, calls and bells
From Wall, Rock and Tomb will noise
Poor peace as the sun sets
And lights the darkness shield.
Jerusalem
12 March 2009