up and down
this way and that
crowds everywhere (though not really horrible ones)
people shopping and taking photos galore
and buzzing all around
what came closest to me in Jerusalem
was the Western wall
(the "weeping" one as I'd call it)
which doesn't have much to do with Jesus
but where
probably for the first time in my life
I've seen a great many people
observing the rituals of another world religion
and that touched me deeply
seeing all those girls and women
with their books
in their very modest clothes
(even in colours--I've hardly seen other than black, grey, brown or dark green*)
praying so very earnestly
some moving their upper bodies
some close to dancing
some almost in tears
that was an amazing experience
totally different from the rest of the places
where the centuries and denominations
have all left their marks
and meanwhile the places became
something very far removed
from their original
this is indeed the primate of the simulacrum
the pictures and films seemed more real
more authentic
but in fact that had its own meaning too
I found myself amazed by the sheer amount of people
pilgrims and tourists
who came to these holy places before me
throughout the ages
whose soles and knees made the stone floors shiny (and slippery)
and who all left their marks
while the places became
something so far removed
from their original
* Neither on cars or walls, the whole city is kind of colourless
Nincsenek megjegyzések:
Megjegyzés küldése