Walls of M'Dena

 

WALLS OF M’DENA

 

 

While eternal lizards flit

 from shady borage onto sun-warmed stone,

    old men sit on ancient walls,

      watching history climb

        from the sunlit sea, up to the noble city.

 

Ancient man, Phoenician, Roman -,

 Saracen who laid the plan.

    Norman King , Knight of St John,

      Napoleon, his looting general

        thrown from these very walls.

 

The French in turn, drummed out by Nelson,

 who moved the city’s power toward the sea,

    causing it’s silence, until

      after beating back the Hun,

        Britain also left, leaving behind an infrastructure,

          and Malta at last to be her own,

 

But always, old men

 

sit

 

watchful

 

 

 upon the walls.

 

 

John L. Berry

Author's Note

There is no motorised traffic in M'Dena. Approach to this walled city is via a small bridge-gate. The silence is wonderful. There is an ambience of history, there have been battles, but today - blissful peace.