Walking At Ephesus

Walking at Ephesus

It may be an effect of the light

Bright sunshine as it shimmers

The whiteness of rays from a low sun

Flickering between the columns

The almost-blinding sparkles

Of the crystalline texture of marble

Yet these stones that lay among the stunted grass

Will not rest nor stay asleep

Heavy and broken, a jumbled jigsaw

But seem to rise up and assemble themselves again

Resolving into the temples of many gods

Triumphal arches, fountains, houses

Palaces, tombs and theatres

The gateway carvings fresh, the features sharp

The markings clear as if newly-minted

The beating heat of Anatolia

Relieved by the coolness of water

Running through the fountains, pools and baths

And the leafy colonnaded avenue

Of the tree-shaded Arcadian Way

With the street and walkways busy

Thronged with people about their business

The simple sound of feet, sandal-clad

Voices of slaves and masters

Traders in the marketplace

The brothel thronged with customers

Asking to inspect the goods on offer

The girls watching for someone new

Perhaps an interesting stranger

A sailor walking up from the harbour-side

Far up into the heaving city

No longer the abandoned Graeco-Roman ruins

Or the ancient broken back of Byzantium

But a living space, a breathing place

Where ghosts are free to roam

Copyright Andy Fawthrop 2014