JERUSALEM STONES
WALKING, WALKING… THE LONELY STREETS SO QUIET IN THE SHABBAT-DESERTED LANDSCAPE FEW CARS, LITTLE NOISE FINALLY, AFTER A WEEK OF TRAFFIC AND THROAT-ACIDIC-AIR POLLUTION. THE STONES BEAR WITNESS SLIPPERY IN THE RAIN TREACHEROUS AT TIMES SO IRRITATING YET THEY SEEM UNCONCERNED FOR THE PETTY LIVES AND LOVES OF TODAY’S BROKEN SOULS THIS CITY OF PARADOX SO MANY FAITHS CROWDED TOGETHER PEOPLE ISOLATED OR TRAPPED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE MYTHOLOGIES: THE SOUNDS OF THE MUEZZIN MIXES UNHARMONIOUSLY WITH THE CHURCH BELLS,
THE STEEPLES AND THE MINARETS DOT THE SKYLINE IN COMPETITION FOR THE SOUL OF JERUSALEM. SO MANY FAITHS EACH CLAIMING ITS OWN TRUTH EACH DISOWNING THE OTHER EACH SENDING ITS CHILDREN HERE FOR INSTRUCTION FROM THE DIASPORA FOR INSPIRATION AND INTENSITY OF STUDY FROM ITS SPIRITUAL TEACHERS, YET THE “OTHER” SEEMS NOT TO EXIST HOWEVER FATEFULLY FORCED TO LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY IN THE WET STONE BUILDINGS OF THIS ETERNAL CITY. THE PARADOX OF THE OLD AND THE NEW THE EAST AND THE WEST THE SHTREIMEL AND THE BURKAH THE BEKESHE AND THE NUN’S HABIT THE DENSITY OF PURE PIETY PER SQUARE FOOT COMPETES WITH HEAVEN ITSELF FOR THE “TRUTH” ABOUT THE DIVINE. DOES GOD IN FACT SMILE DOWN ON ALL THIS FROM HEAVEN? I AM DRAWN HERE DESPITE MYSELF I DON’T LIKE THIS INTENSITY I DON’T LIKE THE HEAT I DON’T LIKE THE DOWNPOURS I PREFER THE QUIET COOL ROLLING COTSWOLDS… WHERE IT RAINS SO FINELY THE DRIZZLE DOESN’T BOTHER ME I LIKE TO BE LEFT ALONE FROM PRYING EYES WHO SIZE ME UP BY MY YARMULKE OR CLOTHING ANALYZING MY SHADE OF ORTHODOXY AND PRAXIS BY THE IMPLICATION OF LEATHER OR FELT, LENGTH OF JACKET, IT IS ALMOST TOO MUCH, THIS NOISE AND CHATTER, THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY OF TALMUDIC ERUDITION THIS PRESSURE COOKER WAITING ANY MOMENT TO BURST. TOO MUCH TO BEAR AT TIMES, THE BLOOD STAINED SIDEWALKS AND CAFÉ HOUSES OF DR APPLEBAUM AND HIS DAUGHTER, OF CHILDREN OF ALL ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF PARENTAL AND SOCIETAL AND ETHNIC EXPECTATIONS;
THESE STONES HAVE WITNESSED THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THOSE WILLING TO SURRENDER TO THIS ETERNAL CITY OF THOSE WILLING TO DIE FOR MYTH AND TEXT AND IDEOLOGY OF THOSE UNWILLING TO BE SCAPEGOATS AGAIN IN HISTORY “JERUSALEM OF GOLD” THE INSPIRATION OF POETS AND MIDRASH SHEMER AND AMICHAI BROKE THEIR TEETH ON THESE STONES AND SOIL THE OLD CITY AND NEW THE BUSTLING THE CHRISTIAN TOURISTS CONFIRMING THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THEIR SAVIOUR WITH PSEUDO-SCIENCE WILLINGLY PROVIDED BY “CERTIFIED” TOUR GUIDES IN GERMAN TOUR BUSES WITH A.C. AND CUSHION COMFORT. THIS PART OF EARTH WHERE THE JEWISH FAITHFUL COME TO BE BURIED HURRIEDLY, FLOWN IN, HEAVY ZINC LINED COFFINS NOW ONLY COVERED IN WHITE CLOTH, COFFINLESS, FOLLOWED BY MEN IN BEARDS, AN INDUSTRY FOR THE MAFIA/BLACK COATED CHEVRA KADISHA WHO CONTROL FOOD AND GRAVES IN THIS SECULAR COUNTRY. I WALK BY AN ABANDONES MUSLIM CENETRY OPPOSITE TH LUXURIOUS WLDORF ASTORIA, THE SILENT GRAVES BESPEAKING A DIFFERENT ERA OF TURKISH RULE AND OBVIOUS GRAVES OF CLASSY AND WEALTHY PATRICIANS BURIED JUST OUTSIDE THE OLD CITY. A CITY DROWNING IN A MILLENIA OF TEARS, AN OLD FOTO, CIRCA 1917, GENERAL ALLENBY DISMOUNTS OUT OF DEEP RESPECT AT THE JAFFA GATE…THE TUKS HAVE LEFT FINALLY AFTER HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF OTTOMAN RULE… AND THE CHRISTIAN CONQUERER PROCLAIMS A FREE CITY FOR ALL FAITHS (SIC) THE MULLAHS AND THE PRIESTS AND RABBIS LINED IN A ROW, BOWED IN DEFERENCE, THE ONLY COMMONALITY IS OBEISANCE TO THE NEW COLONIZERS THE TURKS AND MARMADUKES THE BRITISH AND THE ZIONISTS THOSE WHO LOVED THIS CITY OF GOLD MORE THAN LIFE THOSE WHO WOULD NEVER LEAVE ITS GATES ONCE HAVING ARRIVED (NOT EVEN FOR UMAN!) THE STUDY OF HALLS OF LEARNING PIETY AND PUNCTILIOUS OBSERVANCE OF MINUTIAE (I WATCH THEM EXAMINE THE ARAVOT WITH MICROSCOPIC PRECISION
OR PUSH WILDLY TO GET CLOSER TO THE REBBE IN HIS SUCCAH OR THE FUNERARY BIER OF THE ZADDIK) THOSE MEN WHO COMB THEIR PAYOT BEFORE THE MIKVEH UNAWARE OF THEIR EFFEMINATE TRIMMINGS THE SAME MIKVEH THAT COMMANDS “TVOL UTZEH!” (BY THE REBBE OF TOLDOS AVRAHAM YITSCHAK DEMANDING SILENCE AS THEY WATCH ME AN OUTSIDER IN DIFFERENT CLOTH, DISROBE LIKE AN ALIEN. THE SAME BLACK COATED MEN WALKING BRISKLY ALONG MEA SHEARIM STREETS, COMPETING WITH HUGE BUSES CRAWLING THROUGH THE SAME WINDING ROAD : THAT BASTION OF HASSIDIC/HUNGARIAN PIETY SOME TWO UNCONSCIOUS MINUTES FROM THE HUGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH AND COMPLEX, THE GRAVES ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, NEXT TO THE AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL HOUSING THE ENORMOUS BELL DONATED BY KAISER FRANZ JOSEF FROM VIENNA, WHILE THE NUNS WALK TO THEIR MORNING MATIN AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ARMENIAN QUARTER, PAST PICTURES OF THE FIRST ETHNIC HOLOCAUST 1915-1920 PLASTERED ON JERUSALEM STONE WALLS, (A CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN PIECE OF HISTORY) THE FAITHFUL MUSLEM MEN BOWING ON THEIR PRAYER MATS ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT, WHERE, AT DAWN, JUST BELOW BY THE KOTEL THAT STONE WALL OF WAILING, THE SEPHARDI MEKUBALIM RECITE THE SIDDUR OF THE RASHASH NOTHING MAKES SENSE HERE ALL ARE HURRYING TO WORSHIP! ALL ARE CLAIMING THE TRUTH ALL ARE CLAIMING EXCLUSIVITY. YET SOMEHOW, PARADOXICALLY IT ALL DOES. THE MILITARY PRESENCE ALWAYS HOVERING ALWAYS A THREAT, SEEMINGLY ARBITRARY AT TIMES FOR SOME PROTECTION, FOR OTHERS OCCUPATION, COLONIALISM REDUX FOR ALL, UNDESIRED ROAD BLOCKS, BUT NECESSARY
THESE SLIPPERY STONES BEAR WITNESS
TO THE MILLENIA OF CONQUERING ARMIES TO THE PIETY TO THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT SPILLED TO THE DESIRE AND FERVENT HOPE FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH (OR HIS POSSIBLE SECOND COMING?) AND THE CONTINUING WRANGLING OVER PIECES OF REAL ESTATE, POLITICS AND WHEELING DEALING OVER SQUARE METRES. THE “SETTLEMENT EXPANSION” AND THE CLEAR DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN RED TILED ROOF SETTLEMENTS AND ARAB VILLAGES FROM AFAR, THE FACTS ON THE GROUND EVIDENT TO ALL. THE NEW ONCE PROUD LIGHT RAIL WINDS ITS WAY THROUGH EAST JERUSALEM AND. WITH ALL THE HIGH TECH, NEW TERROR TACTICS AT STATIONS ALONG THE WAY LIKE THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS. THIS JERUSALEM OF STONE, THAT GETS UNDER THE SKIN AND NEVER LEAVES THAT INFURIATES AND IRRITATES BUT NEVER RELIEVES, LIKE A MIGRAINE ONE MUST ENDURE PHOTOPHOBIC AND UNABLE TO FOCUS ON ANYTHING BUT THE PAIN THESE STONES REMAIN AS WITNESS AS TESTIMONY OF ITS ETERNITY… I WALKED THESE STONES FIRST AT AGE 16 AND NOW, I HAVE LIVED MY LIFE, THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED. I HAVE FAILED AS DORIAN GREY THEY HAVE REMAINED STEADFAST THIS MADDENING CITY SHE POINTS HER ACCUSING FINGER, SHE AFFORDS NO TOLERANCE FOR ANYONE WHATEVER THEIR CONVICTION, RELIGION, SECT WHO COMPROMISE THEIR VALUES, ALL WHO LIVE HERE MUST LIVE FULLY AND WITHOUT PITY WHATEVER THE COST. ALL MUST ENDURE THE SLIPPERINESS OF HER SURFACES AND THE IMMUTABILITY OF HER PAVEMENTS. THIS IS JERUSALEM.