This post contribution is from my Randwick Writers colleague Garth Alperstein, originally from South Africa, but obviously a citizen of the world now, who delights in other places, faces and cultures.
Garth says: When I travel, I have of late written short poems, in an attempt to encapsulate the essence of a place, an experience or a memory.
Istanbul
On the day of Kurban Bayrami
The Imam’s piercing chant cannot mask
Bleeting cries of sacrificial death
(On this day animals are sacrificed in the streets in certain parts of Istanbul)
Pamukkale, Turkey
Warm spring waters fill travertine pools
Cascading down the blinding white mount
The Romans in Hieropolis above, no fools
(The Romans built a city Hieropolis on top of the mountain – not visible in the photo)
Antalya, Turkey
Limestone topped mountains
Towering above the blue seas’ shimmer
Blinding the midday sun
Cappadocia, Turkey
Pale green hills
Moonscape rocks erect
I see planet Earth at the end of time
Bursa, Turkey
Breakfast on the terrace
The mists reveal mountains and minorettes
The call to prayer, the smell of Turkish coffee
Photographs are by Garth’s partner, Melissa Becker, an artist and photographer