GERONA

STONE UPON STONE, ROMAN, ON TOP OF OLD IBERIAN WALL
WHILE THE RIVER ONYAR FLOWS BY, TO MARK THE OLD BORDER.
ABOVE CATHEDRAL SPIRE, (AN OLD SYNAGOG SITE) STANDS TALL
MONT JUICH *, A BURIAL GROUND FOR SO LONG, IN DISORDER.

COME WALK THE NARROW, TWISTED, STEEP, COBBLESTONE STEPS
WHERE ARCHED PASSAGEWAYS LEAD TO ANCIENT CASA.
HIDDEN PATHWAYS AND LEVELS, LAY LONG BURIED IN THE DEPTHS
THAT ONCE LED TO THE BUSTLING PUBLIC MARKET AND PLAZA.

PUT YOUR FEET DOWN IN SANDAL-WORN HOLLOW
WHILE YOUR FINGERS PROBE OLD MEZZUZAH SLOTS.
NOTE THE DATED YEARS AS THE OLD QUARTER YOU FOLLOW.
OUR PEOPLE TARRIED TOO, AS YOU DO, AT THE FOUNTAIN SPOTS.

IMAGINE THEM IF YOU WILL, FOR IN CENTURIES PAST
OUR ANCESTORS WERE BORN, LIVED, AND DIED HERE.
A ONCE HONORED PEOPLE REDUCED TO OUTCAST,
IF ESCAPE THEY DID, THE HORRORS THEY CAME TO FEAR.

GUITARS STRUM, PLAINTIVE FLAMENCO CANTOS ABOUND
FROM INNER DEPTHS OF PATIOS VOICES ECHO AND RESOUND.
AS FAMILIAR, THO UNREMEMBERED, SCENTS AND SOUND
WARMLY ENVELOP YOU, REMINDING YOU, THIS IS HALLOWED GROUND.

GERONA, CITY OF LIGHTNESS AND DARK DEEDS,
WHERE SCHOLARS PONDERED AND DEBATE RAGED.
WHILE ELSEWHERE HATRED PLANTED ACCEPTABLE SEEDS
WHOSE GROWTH WAS NOURISHED. THE BEAST UNCHAINED.

GERONA, WE CANNOT SURRENDER YOU TO THE PAST,
NOR ACCEPT THAT OUR MEMORIES LIE DORMANT,
BURIED, UNMARKED, GRAVESTONES AND BONES, CRUSHED AND CAST.
GERONA, WE COMMEMORATE COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND LAMENT.

GERONA, NOW REFLECTIVELY OPENING ARCHIVES
REMEMBERING LONG LOST SITES, HONORING
THE REALITY OF OUR ANCESTORS LIVES.
RECONSTRUCTING THE MEMORY, NOT JUST THE BUILDING.

GERONA, WE CANNOT YET CELEBRATE YOU
1391 MASSACRE, 1492 EXILE, PERMITS IT NOT.
YET WE DO HONOR YOUR EFFORTS CATALUNYA
NOR CAN YOUR BELATED LABORS BE FORGOT.

GERONA, CITY OF LEARNING, WE PATIENTLY AWAIT
YOUR PAINSTAKING REBUILDING THE MEMORY OF OUR CALL**
LET YOUR EFFORTS BE REWARDED, IT IS NOT TOO LATE.
RESTORING THE HONOR OF GERONA, WILL HONOR YOU, AND US ALL.

* MONT JUICH= JEWS MOUNTAIN,SITE OF OLD CEMETARY.
** CALL = JEWISH QUARTER (not to be confused with ghetto)

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