Ron and Sarah Withehead
in Portugal 2007
Alfama old Lisbon Portugal February 2007
a love poem
for Sarah
visited Iris and Xavier
flew from Louisville to Detroit to London to Lisbon
my longtime dear friend Lucia and Maria and Pedro and their dog picked us up
drove us in their natural gas powered Peugeot
ancient friendly wisdomeyed dog by my side in my lap front seat
to Alfama to old Lisbon
Escolas Gerais #24-2
Iris and Xavier's apartment
narrow streets centuries old
cobblestones handmade
tram rails electric
trams unlike any other orange and lemon colored trams
painted paintings trams decades centuries old in mint condition
trams dance slowly up and down narrow old Lisbon
cobbled streets clothes hanging stories high stories high
three four five stories every street filled with stories myths alive
fairy tale streets stories the clothes tell in gentle rain in turquoise
sunshine and fog on Rio Tejo foghorns ships boats headed to and fro
river ocean Tejo Atlantic mists in the morning church bells and trams
at 5am pigeons loving rooftops singing dawn
Sarah and I sleep on the top floor on the futoned floor under the stars
the night sky our window door to the moon
at 2am after Fado Fado beautiful Fado we wander meander down and up
narrow stairs streets alleys Sarah says listen listen and we all
Iris and Xavier and Sarah and I all stop and listen we listen we listen
and all we hear is the sound the soft and gentle sound of silence silence
at 2am Alfama old Lisbon no sounds no dogs barking no horns blowing
no church bells singing no cars grinding no boats no planes no talking
only silence silence silence stillness at 2am in old Lisbon what beauty
no other city in the world can say silence at 2am no sound only
silence stillness silence
I take Sarah's hand we kiss gentle on lips we melt at 2am old Lisbon
in the mist in the silent rain we kiss
Xavier plays gypsy violin while preparing gourmet French and Portuguese
dishes rare spices herbs delicious the food melts in our mouths
the music melts our hearts Jacques Brel Rimbaud French songs poems
of love of peace of friendship Xavier is the best tour guide in
Portugal watch out for the trams step into a doorway or die
spring is here orange and lemon trees pregnant with ripe fruit
at Portugal's largest bizarre street market block after block after block
Xavier says look and there lo and behold there we see a tree filled
with big bright green glowing green parrots never before the people say
never before has such a sight been seen global warming they say has
has has global warming has thrown off their migratory patterns the birds
the green birds look over the bizarre and in unison yell further further
further as they in unison depart in flight headed further to
who knows where Sarah buys skirts and sari and third eye from India
street market old Lisbon police arrest drunk merchants we drink
espresso in sidewalk cafes blue skies ancient bright not withered faces
old wise faces groceries markets restaurants on every street run by
generations and generations fresh food fruits vegetables meats seafoods
daily fresh wine ports the best in the world palm trees Atlantic and
Mediterranean breezes it is spring in Portugal Morocco Tangier out
the roof window rooftops river ocean spring breezes songs poems dances
the dance Iris dances the dance of life world beat rhythms magic alchemy
mystery rhythms Iris dances Sarah sings the poem of life the poems of love
Sarah and I dance love's dance in Alfama old Lisbon in Portugal
from Quinta da Regaleira
to Alfama
the water of life oh eternal natural springs
wash us purify us transform us
sweet angel of the fountains
of the natural springs springs of seven mountains
oh angel of water
baptize us
oh water of life
make us new
O Privilegio dos Caminhos
trazem a sua arte a Lisboa
num encontro
entre poesia canto musica e danca
Lucia Baltazar Xavier Iris Sarah Ron
Santiago Alquimista
ola
obrigado
birth life friendship love death
alchemy
Sintra
the journey below and above
Pessoa poet boulanger alchemist
poetry song dance
the bread of life
manger du livre eat the book
and the word will set you free
changing water to red wine
the wedding feast
in Alfama old Lisbon
Iris Xavier
our guides in this strange this mystical land
Fado destiny synchronicity
trams and church bells
at 5am
meditation prayer
red wine
Tejoo Bar
laughing woman
with a broom
Tejoo Bar Pedro at midnight guitared poems
freedom portal
keep the flame alive
the flame of freedom
Pedro sings and drinks and recites poetry every night at The Tejoo Bar
Baltazaar Dazkarieh
world music world rhythms
the beauty of rhythmic movement of sound
measuring space with time with magically rhythmed time
romantic alchemical mystery Portugal
Napoleao
the best wine port shop in Lisbon
Baixa Rua dos Fanqueiros (tell the owner I sent you)
in Kentucky it's raining Portuguese poems
the food the wine the coffee the port
my God oh Great Spirit
i'm in Heaven
Pasteis de Belem Piriquita
the French gypsy violinist Xavier plays and sings till dawn
The Friends new friends
Threshold of The Gods
Jesus crowns Mary Magdalene
Ron crowns Sarah Elizabeth
Quinta da Regaleira
Sintra
Fount of Abundance
alchemical Portugal
the threshold
the doorway
to the creative imagination
to spirit realms
Lord Byron's Café
Pessoa's Hotel
by plane and train we travel
we walk
from Oporto to Braga Bom Jesus
the Azores Sintra
to old Lisboa Alfama
to Faro to Tangier
to Terceira
Luis Vaz de Camoes Fernando Pessoa
Ana Paula Inacio Luis Quintas Rui Coias
Fado Amalia Rodrigues
old Lisboa oh Lisbon oh Portugal
we sing your songs
we drink your wines
we make love to you
we raise toasts to you
we dance your dances
we whisper your poems
obrigado obrigado obrigado
obrigado
ola
with Love
Ron Whitehead
February 25, 2007
Copyright © Ron Whitehead 2007
www.tappingmyownphone.com
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