Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Paris, Mon Amour

Je cherche ton âme
ou peut-être la mienne
autour de ces pierres
parmi ces visages…


I am searching for your soul
or perhaps for mine


around these stones,
among these faces…

Ant and angel,
I cradle the weight
of History

in my heart,
and wonder
which Louis
has just stepped
onto this old new bridge,
not so long ago,
in that blink of an eye
that measures centuries.

Forever in awe
I stand,

at your light
and your darkness,

knowing that,

beyond the beauty
and the arrogance,

beyond the grandeur
and the misery,

the trees are the same,
the pigeons,
the people…

Je cherche ton âme
et la mienne…

We are old souls -
and new.

18 comments:

Karen said...

Ah, Paris! My trip could only have been better had it lasted longer. It sounds as if you loved it as much as I. Welcome back.

Aniket Thakkar said...

I loved the pic of the pigeons. What a shot.

Great words to accompany beautiful pictures.

"beyond the grandeur
and the misery,

the trees are the same,
the pigeons,
the people…"

Such wise words...

PS: I've read and commented on all the 158 entries at CoN.
Your's would've still made it on my top 5. :)

Vesper said...

How well you say it, Karen... *sigh*
But, it's also good to be back! :-)

Aniket, you, my friend, are incredibly kind. Thank you! :-) I'll try to read as many stories as I can.

the walking man said...

It is good to go and revisit the ancient places that new souls inhabit and mingle with them that have been there for a time...welcome back and happy you traveled well and safely with your family.

Catherine Vibert said...

Welcome home Vesper. I also loved the pigeon shot. And your poem! I love the conclusion.

Charles Gramlich said...

Wow. Beautiful pics. I have to say the two pigeons was my favorite though.

L.A. Mitchell said...

Sounds like you had an amazing time. Thanks for the lovely photos of your journey.

BernardL said...

Very nice! Thanks for the pictorial and lyrical tour.

Rick said...

You have such a romantic soul, Vesper. Welcome back. You were missed.

laughingwolf said...

wb v... i see your vacation was grand :)

Aine said...

Hey there! Welcome back! I hope the holiday filled your soul and your senses (it appears to have done both beautifully!)

Just wanted to tell you that I loved your In Vino Veritas story. It was a delight (I should've known you would use time travel so elegantly!)

Vesper said...

Mark, while there, I was thinking a lot about who endured best, the kings who left their effigies everywhere or the anonyms on whom they were built... . Thank you for your good thoughts.

Thank you, Cat. Yes, those pigeons are so sweet... You can see their warm roundnes...

Thanks, Charles! I love the pigeons! :-)

It was excellent, L.A.. Thanks for being here! :-)

Thank you, Bernard! :-)

Rick, I'm afraid I'm an incurable romantic... Thank you, amd welcome back to you too, my friend. :-)

It was! Thank you, LW! :-)

Thank you, Aine. It was a great holiday, indeed.
I'm so very glad you liked my story. Thank you for your wonderful comment. :-)

Unknown said...

Beautiful images and magical words - so glad you're back, Vesper! xx

The Blonde Duck said...

Simply lovely. I love the pidgeon pic!

Sarah Hina said...

We do feel young and old in Paris. A part of something much bigger than ourselves that flows as calmly and steadily as the Seine. I so love it too, Vesper.

It did me a world of good to see your beautiful photos. I'm so glad you and your family were able to soak up some of the light. And share it with us. :)

I know it's hard...but can you think of a favorite spot?

Vesper said...

Thank you, Vanilla! In many ways it's good to be back...
xoxoxo

Thank you, Blonde Duck. They're cute, aren't they? :-)

Sarah, weird this feeling, isn't it? I keep thinking about it, I'm glad you had it too... But I'm afraid I can't answer your question - it was everything, each detail in its own way, a mixture of admiration and outrage, of transcendence and opressive weight... I didn't have this feeling in Rome. There I cried when I first saw the Forum, but the antiquity (and Italy) had for me a pagan lightness that is lost, in France, in the tremendous stones of the Middle Ages...

I loved the linden trees, all in bloom, and their honeyed fragrance...

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

God I love Paris.
You just broke my heart and made me cry. How perfect!!!

Love it!

XOXO
Scarlett & Viaggiatore

(in particular, that shot of the sunset over the Seine and Notre Dame... that's the one that brought the tears)

Vesper said...

Scarlett, you know, when I posted this I was hoping you would see it... I'm glad you did! Thank you. I love Paris.
xoxoxo