Sun Kissed Days

Sun Kissed Days

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Jerusalem

http://dversepoets.com/



The ancient city knows my name.
Once this land was home.
I laid at her feet,
touched her,
listened to her heartbeat from the ground.
When I was small I hopscotched under her glorious beauty
while she winked at me.
That was long ago,
I return to heartbreak.
I skip through Jerusalem ,
her eyes dark and tender as they follow me.
I search through  her curves
to find his church,
nestled away, standing humble.
I enter the gates,
embraced by the sound of chanting,
rising through locked doors.
The doors open and I walk in
slowly feeling the spirit as the sunlight
enters through the vaulted dome.
My hearts skips a beat,
wishing my love was here,
to taste this moment.
The smell of incense
floating in the air,
awakens my senses,
as I sit in silence,
breathing it in for him,
breathing it in for me.



This is a reflection of my trip to Jerusalem. I went to Israel to bury my mom in 2009 and I took a day trip to Jerusalem and searched for the Armenian church which is in the old city and dates back to AD 420. My husband was a choir boy and he knows the present Patriarch, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian.  I felt a sense of wonder sitting there taking it all in. This is about love, the kind of love that crosses lines and faiths. I was born in Israel and raised Jewish and I married an Armenian which is orthodox Christian. So love conquers all in my faith. Meet us here,  http://dversepoets.com/  where we share our thoughts and our hearts.

125 comments:

  1. love does conquer all...and what a trip as well...bet it was fascinating to walk around...and def on the wish to be able to share that moment...

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    1. It does Brian...and it was a moment I wanted to share so badly.

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  2. Ayala this is such beautiful imagery! My husband was also born Christian and we were an interfaith family (still are because of his family) until he chose to convert six years ago. He still enjoys playing organ for our friend's Gospel choir on Sunday mornings, but he is also a Klezmer musician in our local Klez band (who knew there was such a thing in NH!)...anyway...love know no boundaries and your poem expresses this beautifully...incense rising...breathing it in and exhaling ...sharing breath with our beloveds, with all beings.

    Chag Sameach

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    1. Thank you, Laura. Love knows no boundaries...and I happy that you found your soul mate like I have found mine.
      Chag Sameach.

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  3. oh i can feel the longing here....love that she has dark eyes... i've been to jerusalem about 22 years ago...a fascinating, multilayered city...

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  4. This is a really lovely capture of your experience, Ayala.

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  5. ayala, I am so sorry I missed you last week. It was hell here.

    However, this poem goes straight to the heart! How beautiful and touching your tribute, and yes, love conquers all ....and it should be in any faith.

    This poem helps to restore mine.

    Lady Nyo

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    1. Thank you, Jane. :) Happy you came by. Hope all is well :)

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  6. Love knows no borders, exactly as it shouldn't. Love is its own religion and outshines everything else.
    What a lovely, gentle, love-filled read.

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    1. Thank you, Bren. You say it well my friend !

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  7. This is such a gem of a poem...I had to reread a few times...you've captured the essence and spirituality so well...just lovely, Ayala...

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  8. beautiful.....in every aspect! so happy I stopped by today. thank you
    hope you are well

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    1. Thank you, Hope. I hope all is well with you..so happy to see you here again :)

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  9. love can prove all other things futile, very nicely done.

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  10. this is so beautiful, on so many levels, your love shines through.

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  11. An amazing poem. Full of imagery and beautiful to read!

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  12. This is beautiful and heartfelt...Thanks for sharing this personal journey ~

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  13. Love the way you capture that moment of wanting to share- I've done and felt this often. This was made even more heartfelt knowing that the journey was taken to bury your mother- so very heartfelt and honest- I could almost smell the incense and see it curling through their as I read it

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    1. Thank you, Stu...some moments we remember so clearly...

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  14. The smell of incense
    floating in the air,
    awakens my senses,
    as I sit in silence,
    breathing it in for him,
    breathing it in for me.

    Absolutely loved this. Captures the essence of what you are trying to say.

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  15. to me, everyday in jerusalem is a holiday (holy day)

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  16. What a fine evocation of the feel of the Holy Land. Your wonderfully concise descriptions, your emotional transparency. Very nice work.

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  17. I agree with Steve, this is certainly one of my favorites from you. There is a diaphanous quality to it, like a thin veil that shows us a world of wonders. Maybe as close as we can get to seeing what you saw, beautiful!

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  18. You describe your journey and feelings so beautifully. And what a journey.

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  19. This is my favorite:
    "embraced by the sound of chanting,
    rising through locked doors"

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    1. Thank you...it was magical listening to it :)

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  20. You had me from the first line, Ayala. Enchanting.

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  21. As always, ayala, you shine such a beautiful light on things--this is the other side of humanity, the light and bright side, and I'm so glad you're here to show it to us.

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    1. Thank you, Joy. What a beautiful thing to say.

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  22. This poem is so rich! Lovely, loving, humbling, moving. Thank you!

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  23. So interesting and rich. It reminds me of travels I've taken alone which I was so longing to share. Thanks. K.

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  24. There is so much richness in this piece--

    I laid at her feet,
    touched her,
    listened to her heartbeat from the ground.

    Just glorious writing!

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  25. What a bridge of two religions you have come to be. How I'd like to compare in an afternoon conversation over tea. I always said I was the Irish Troubles in one person..an Irish protestant grandmother, and an Irish Catholic one.

    Here in your poem you bring us to that holiest of cities in three religions where you cast your own peace over city, church, synagogue and mosque showing us what temperance and ecumenism can do in a heart of love.

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    1. Thank you, Gay. I would love to have that afternoon conversation someday :)

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  26. Thank you for sharing this beautifully written and intimate poem. Everything in here is alive with sight, smells, warmth -- the city, the memories.

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  27. i like how you open with an overview, entering the city. you talk about touching, listening skipping, and then go into that elegant vignette that ends in breathing. quite a nice piece.

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  28. Wonderful descriptive piece. A friend of mine just left last week to visit his mother who still lives there, he's going to spend a month there. Really cool descriptions here, takes us right there. Thanks

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    1. Thank you, Fred..and welcome to a sun kissed life :)

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  29. Beautiful, especially the last two lines.

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  30. I love this! I so admire and respect the awe and acceptance you have shown here for others...especially in this strife-ridden land with so many faiths struggling to get along. Thank you for sharing this beauty and hope.

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  31. A beautiful story in both verse and prose. :)

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  32. Beautiful!
    Love just might be the answer to all our questions.

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  33. Beautiful!
    Love just might be the answer to all our questions.

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  34. Beautiful!
    Love just might be the answer to all our questions.

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  35. ayala, this was just gorgeous. Tender and beautiful. Love 'is'...and that's the beauty of it, isn't it?

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  36. Very tender and powerfully evocative.

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  37. beautiful remembrance of the city, and a tender outpouring of love. thanks for sharing a little bit of your story with us.

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  38. Wow. Powerful poem. And the note was sooo lovely! Love conquers all!

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  39. I feel as though I have been shown a piece of its beauty right here! Stunningly emotive write love, this is so powerful, tangible! Wonderful xoxo

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  40. this is a lovely reflection of both your ties to family and land and a perfectly fantastic truth of how we can hold our individual verities and unite in peace and love. Wonderful write ~ Rose

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  41. It sounds like it was a wonderful experience

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  42. Like you, I am half of an interfaith couple. I've long wanted to go to Jerusalem and your poem makes me want to go anymore. Thank you for sharing your writing.

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    1. Thank you, Kristen. You have to go one day...when the kids are bigger, you will love it!

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  43. Heartfelt, I can feel the longing. Indeed true love does conquer all. This line really stands out to me: "When I was small I hopscotched under her glorious beauty
    while she winked at me."

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  44. Replies
    1. Thank you, Apryl. I have missed you..hope all is well. :)

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  45. You and your husband
    have built your own
    Heavenly City.

    I loved you poem-


    Warm Aloha from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral

    ><}}(°>

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    1. Thank you, Cloudia.
      I love your comment :)

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  46. Yes love knows no boundaries setting us into any kind of group.

    Really a BEAUTIFUl poem, Ayala. When I went to Notre Dame hubby was still here in America. And I longed for him to experience it too. What a treat that day -- there was actually a choir singing that day. Amazing!!!

    xoxoxo

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    1. Thank you, Jannie. I can imagine how wonderful and yet bittersweet that was.
      Happy Easter.
      Xoxo

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  47. Beautiful poem and story, Ayala. Thanks for sharing!

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  48. Beautiful - wistful - yes love includes all faiths.

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  49. What a beautiful reflection on the true relationship between faith and love, Ayala. And to come to this realization in Jerusalem, such a sacred place for so many. A huge blessing!

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  50. Oh Ayala, this is so moving. I wish you a wonderful Passover. xo

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  51. very deep and moving. loved it dear friend.

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    1. Thank you, dear Baishali.
      I hope you are well.

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  52. I love this and love how a place can be such a character. I've never been to Israel but would like to. Temple, church there is nothing like a meaningful religious building.

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    1. Thank you, Lauren . You will love it when you go, there is no other place like it.

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    1. Thank you, Lauren. I wish you and your loved ones a happy Passover .

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  54. I'm so sorry that this trip was a bittersweet one for you...lovely pictures. And yes, love does conquer all.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  55. Love does conquer all. This poem shines with your love for life and your land.

    Happy passover & easter.

    Alita

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    1. Thank you, Alita. Love is the answer!
      Happy Easter to you and your beautiful family !

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  56. The beauty of love and homeland...a moving poem

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  57. In the "it's always better late than never with great poetry" category--You got the heartstrings vibrating on this one. The imagery is still haunting me (those curves, those eyes). Really felt like I was there, and the story made it all very full, indeed. Thanks!

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  58. This is a beautiful poem, Ayala.

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  59. Love conquers all, I agree! A lovely poem. I love Jerusalem (and really all places I visited in Israel) and I hope to go back someday.

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    1. Thank you, Belinda. I hope you get to go back someday :)

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  60. I love the way you personify Jerusalem here, and the beauty of your words; I could smell the incense! Love is the answer, isn't it. Thank you.

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  61. Thank you and happy Easter :)

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