I dreamt last night I came on foot
Into a new Jerusalem.
Where men had asphalt proudly put
Now flowered wild tropaeolum.<\/p>\n
In lieu of cheaply-built Ramot
Grew poppies, lupins, vetch and flax.
Within the wadi melilot
Replaced the plastic garbage-sacks.<\/p>\n
Yet still was Zion home to folk,
As Lifta village testified;
For houses yesterday all broke
Were roofed, revamped and occupied.<\/p>\n
And, judging by the children’s words
While played they in the courtyards fair
Replete with plants and chirping birds,
Both Jews and Arabs bided there.<\/p>\n
On reaching level ground I met
A homely stable made of wood;
Inside each stall, so neatly set,
A donkey, horse or camel stood.<\/p>\n
"Here was the base for bus and coach,"
Thought I, recalling noise and fume.
"So Jaffa Road I now approach:
Two rows of orange trees in bloom."<\/p>\n
In pleasant swoon the track I traced
Past gates that led to gardens sweet
And cottages designed with taste.
No vicious dogs attacked my feet.<\/p>\n
To check if all was but a farce –
A propaganda exercise –
I then cut south across some grass
Whose buttercups entranced the eyes.<\/p>\n
By anthers gilded, gemmed with dew
My legs as light as Mercury’s
With agile strides conveyed me to
A mound enwreathed in cedar trees.<\/p>\n
I doubted not this was the site
Of Israel’s rowdy parliament;
But saw I there, to my delight,
No building, guards or government.<\/p>\n
Instead, beneath the cloudless sky,
Each yellow head a little sun
Adored by bee and butterfly,
Narcissi bloomed. My mind was won.<\/p>\n
Just then I spied a rustic shed As on I trekked, the wood became A gaudy parrot served as guide, Those mammals, insects, birds and snakes When I emerged and turned around Which meant the pond that lay afore, Beyond I glimpsed a hillock steep; Though keen to reach my final goal, With things internal it had dealt, For on that spot perfumed a bower I did not peep into the nest "Congratulations!" cried the clerk, The Ancient Town I hence could seek, Forthwith appeared the city walls And in the distance on that mount As passed I through the fragrant gate, Without delay I aimed my hand She winked and stroked her supple thighs: "For, though you seem mere sex to be, She hissed, then promptly quit my sight; Papaya, damson, apricot, Wild roses, woodbine, lathyrus Quite calmly, yet with reverence, And lo! As if this were a cue, I took her hand and led her forth <\/p>\n Jerusalem I dreamt last night I came on footInto a new Jerusalem.Where men had asphalt proudly putNow flowered wild tropaeolum. In lieu of cheaply-built RamotGrew poppies, lupins, vetch and flax.Within the wadi melilotReplaced the plastic garbage-sacks. Yet still was Zion home to folk,As Lifta village testified;For houses yesterday all brokeWere roofed, revamped and occupied. And, judging […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/142"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/142\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michaelpeach.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Some yards away inside the wood;
Head Gardener’s Hut<\/em>, a notice read:
The P.M’s. office – changed for good!<\/p>\n
A virgin forest dense though bright;
Great cats, baboons, constrictors tame
In peace drew near and charmed me quite.<\/p>\n
By squawking loud in comic tone
And fluttering from side to side
Until the exit he had shown.<\/p>\n
Had tried, it seemed, to tell me that
Since Man had learnt from his mistakes
He had preserved their habitat.<\/p>\n
To look again at that great ark,
A freshly-painted sign I found:
This Way to Independence Park.<\/em><\/p>\n
Where choired large frogs with voices rare
And blossomed lotuses galore,
Was nothing less than Zion Square.<\/p>\n
Indeed, could scent it in the air.
The City Hall – a compost heap!
And he who crowed on top, the mayor.<\/p>\n
One other place I had to see.
Along a narrow path I stole;
In mind a certain ministry.<\/p>\n
Including births and marriages.
Instead of dung I shortly smelt
Delightful blooms and foliage.<\/p>\n
Of jasmine, lilac, clematis;
The clerk (whose name was Passion Flower),
Received me with a gentle kiss.<\/p>\n
When heard I tender sighs of joy;
Nor did I flinch when, still undressed,
Emerged a glowing girl and boy.<\/p>\n
"All pairs their love should consummate."
To me she chirruped like a lark:
"You too shall soon be blessed by fate."<\/p>\n
And thus confront the very crux.
Due east I found Gehenna creek,
Where water flowed in place of trucks.<\/p>\n
(They had by mist been fully hid);
Wisteria vines, like flowery shawls,
Concealed the stones I’d often chid.<\/p>\n
Where Judas Jesus did betray
Large olive trees, too thick to count,
Gave off a sheen of greenish gray.<\/p>\n
A lovely orchard met my gaze;
Exquisite fruit, no eye could hate,
Hung down like jewels from leafy sprays.<\/p>\n
At what I deemed a juicy pear;
Then uttered loudly, "I’ll be damned!"
A naked woman squatted there.<\/p>\n
"Come feel. O pluck! I do not bite;
While he who me<\/em> tastes never dies."
"But I," I sighed, know wrong from right –<\/p>\n
In truth you represent that lust
For means to thwart the Lord’s decree
That flesh must age and turn to dust."<\/p>\n
Enabling me to eat the fruit
Of any tree that choose I might,
Except this one of ill repute.<\/p>\n
Pomelo, cherry, clementine:
Their sap I savoured till I got
More merry than I could from wine.
Next gambolled I along a lane
(The Via della Rosa named);
Thence, never so devoid of pain,
I reached Moriah – now unframed.<\/p>\n
Upon that verdant hill were rife;
And midst these plants melliferous
Stood, radiant, the Tree of Life.<\/p>\n
I picked a fruit and sucked its juice:
Whose taste the greatest eloquence
Would fail to paint, if put to use.<\/p>\n
From out the cave beneath the tree
Where gushed a spring, and lilies grew,
Came Eve herself – now also free.<\/p>\n
Through lane, fair orchard, portal gay;
Then, bearing west and slightly north,
We to the bower frisked our way. <\/p>\n\n
\n
6 May 1994<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"