The walls of Jerusalem
The children shout
We’re here! We’re here!
See their first palm
at Florida’s border.
Bodies relaxing
under palm trees
cooling breezes
Bora-Bora
There are tall palms standing
outside Baghdad
giving shade to weak and weary
drawing water from a well
tossing down the sheep skin bag
smiling when they hear the splash
water cold from in the earth
to slake the weak and weary’s thirst
A stranger in a stranger land
a soldier of the Western Empire
stands and watches weak and weary
camels, donkeys, palm trees, sand
while a Tampa palm he knows and loves
shades his momma in her yard
as she works and tends her garden
drawing water from a well
A donkey and a man approach
a sudden breeze makes palm fronds clatter
momma’s taking him to church
all dressed up in Sunday’s best
Soldier hears the palm fronds chatter
as the palm trees wave and cheer
in his mind he hears “Hosanna!”
a man on a donkey drawing near
Soldier’s heard that song before
long ago and far away
remembers momma pinning palm
lovingly on his Sunday vest.
.
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http://cjij.blogspot.com/2009/02/jerusalem-of-gold.html
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for those who have never heard the hymns of the Eastern church in Arabic
God is with us.
.
