Come to the Palace, Spain

We wind our way through narrow streets... up, up, up. Shadows thicken, trees tower. Scent of roses fills the air. Here is the palace. The Alhambra.

A guide tells us of Charles the Fifth. Ferdinand and Isabella. Others whose names escape me now. Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque art converge in these halls, these courtyards. I gravitate towards life— birds against towers, the cherry tree now full with fruit, vibrant cypress, shadows of curious visitors. I seek curves, openings, views outward and inward... the hills, archways, a remarkably decorative prison cell, ceilings that represent Mohammed's cave vision, tiny windows through which arrows sought enemies.

Once there was music here, feasting, shouts, weeping, loves found and lost, despair, pleasure 'midst gardens and marble set against the brilliant sky and the snow-covered mountains beyond. Once, upon a different time. I lean against stone walls, carved wooden doors, my own small self set against history, a shadow passing through where others walked, danced, limped, embraced, fought before me, once upon a time.























The Alhambra, Granada, Spain photos by L.L. Barkat.