a fragile beauty

This city woos you gently

As a tactful lover does,

One who says, yes, I am listening,

But do not overwhelm me

With excessive praise;

Do not expect me to respond

To ebullient adjectives;

Over-statement will get you nowhere

In a subtle love affair.

Rather, this city promises

Gentle heartbreak, you will not find

In this city’s repertoire,

The grand architectural gesture,

Echoing squares, statements

Of imperial ambition;

But you will find harmony,

You will find the quiet

Resolved beauty of streets

That go somewhere with modesty,

Not in too great a rush

To get to their destination;

You will find skies that transform

Themselves hourly, if not by the minute,

As if changing, deliberately,

The circumstances of an assignation.

This city is a reserved lover,

The greys of its time-darkened stone

Are attenuated by reticence;

It has a quiet and fragile beauty:

There are other places

That can shout, this city whispers.

And its words are brief

And may be missed at times

By those not paying attention;

It says: look, I am here,

I am yours; for your love,

And in exchange, my beauty

I give to you, I give to you.