CONNECTIONS

Awaiting music, mountains came:

fire-fierce gobs of mighty hills

      Seht ihr’s, Freunde?

      Seht ihr’s nicht?

      Immer lichter

      Wie er leuchet

      Stern-umstralet

      Hoch sich hebt?

      Seht ihr’s nicht?

The one who weeps plaits hair

With the laughing one -

Tristan und Isolde

                          twinned

                          connected

Wagner and Volkswagen

together slide along the spicy switchback

tracks of golden Anatolia

trailing a liquidambar essence

of myrrh and frankincense

down the Mendos mountain to Fethiye

above the marina

mouthing unfamiliar thanks

mast high and Turkish,

balconied above the bay

the rainbow,

pont y glaw,

bridge of rain,

draws my daughter to me

singing old Welsh songs

in unison

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Cover picture:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/7911705@N07/2211174278/

Visiting my daughter who had become engaged to her Turkish boyfriend we travelled into Fethiye for a late evening meal. Since she was due to go to Japan for two years, and had already lived in Spain, France, Austria and Germany for two years previously, we needed to re-connect before a parting, and did.

Translations:

[a] Welsh : pony y glaw = Bridge of Rain = Rainbow
[b] German : libretto from Tristan und Isolde

Do you see, friends?
Do you not see?
How he shines
ever brighter
soaring on high
stars sparkling around
Do you not see?