Precious Philadelphia

An incongruous mix of old and new

Streets with names of folks we knew

A villa here, a tower there 

Civic planning of which I despair

 

Our traffic rules are clear for all 

Those that follow them so rare; if at all

 

Within this seemingly chaotic city 

Are those that struggle and fill you with pity

 

The dustmen who clean our streets every day 

The begging children who do not play 

A growing abyss between rich and poor 

The daily struggle to lead a life that is secure 

A city full of contradicting trends 

Be they conservative or fashion that offends 

And yet in harmony we all do live 

Our heart and souls to this land we give 

For where else can you find such peace of mind 

The love of a home-land so hard to define 

A trip downtown holds a magic air 

A simplicity rarely found elsewhere 

I love the hustle & bustle of the market place 

I long to capture each & every face.

For each one has a story to tell 

Of how their fortunes rose and fell 

The colours, sights and smells delight 

Though crossing traffic fills most with fright 

To understand where we are and how far we can reach 

We need to see where we came from and thus I beseech 

For us to maintain our heritage in this city of old 

A valued treasure worth far more than gold. ~  (c) By Rula Zein-Iddin

Hidden Treasures

In the space of 24 hours our city-council provided, civilian-filled garbage-dumpster receives more visitors than on-line searches on Google.

Naturally the earlier they come, the richer the pickings; yet this does not deter the donkey driven carts, dilapidated vans & occasional bike from trying their luck at this free-for-all treasure hunt! From this you can either conclude that our street has the most attractive “give-aways” in the Kingdom or that this phenomena is repeated on a daily basis on every street corner. Apart from the putrefying smell and the hidden dangers of rooting through decomposing rubbish; this is an undoubted source of income in an extremely cut throat end of the value chain. Yet the daily excavations by these bedraggled bounty-hunters makes me wonder what statement this makes about our society. Whilst I fully support the right of every human being to exercise their vocation, this repeated vision is not only unsightly & unpleasant but speaks volumes to a society that is less civilized than we actually aspire, or claim, to be. Whether this is a direct reflection of our expanding poverty line or a creative form of entrepreneurship remains to be seen. This behavior does prove one thing however; one man’s meat is almost certainly another man’s poison. Literally.