Beneath lemon boughs,
Where San Simon’s monastery mastered
British wartime byways,
Old Katamon sings
Limestone, jasmine, plus Persian.
When remembering The Mandate,
Or the fate of rich, Christian
Arabs, after 1948,
This stone community, replete with vehicular
Wealth, witnesses demographic surges.
Now, Yemenite vows
Wow over Carlebach hymns
Even as German shteibelach fill with holiday
Worshippers swaying, praying for the day
Moshiach’s footsteps will resonate.
Givat Oranim’s green groves,
Neighborhood genizot and groceries, brim
Below fan-leaved or feathered endemic palms;
They’ve trees enough for seasons
Yet evolved.
Common courtyards likewise spill
Snifim for religious campers, salient
Studios, also, simonim for victory,
For peace, and for fertility. “Jerusalem’s
Flower Garden” flourishes.
Here, the Palmach liberated more than houses.
Romantic, sentimental, sometimes fickle, Jews
Dwell in this district’s palaces,
Intoning the inflorescence
Meant for Leviathan.
One backyard showcases Splendor
Governing charm poured from clay to kiln.
Rich, beautiful work makes
Delightful use of citrus-inspired ceramics,
Along an old-fashioned street.
