the golden genie

under the quickly changing
multiple tones of gray
when I walk here, oblivious to
the threatening clouds above
my bones vibrate with the past
cobblestones click under my feet
16th century buildings beckon me
to discover their discreet interior courtyards
cool peaceful havens in the diffused sunlight
found after traversing massive porticos —
the ancient dressed-stone walls whisper
their century-old secrets
and my ancestors' cries of victory
resonate in my heart
for as I wander the twisting narrow streets
leading to the Bastille
I savor many things others miss:
the golden genie
who crowns the Juillet Column
reflecting in a store window
on a busy boulevard below,
a gargoyle above a church door,
an unused bell tower atop a lycée
which used to sound the hours
as uniformed students
went from one class to another,
decorative brickwork
surrounding the first floor windows
of an otherwise anonymous building,
hints of a past where there was pride
in artistic workmanship —
these are the delightful treasures of Paris
the city of lights, shining brightly
in the eager eyes of those who
brave her stormy winter weather
to be whisked away by her beguiling beauty




the golden genie
[2007.20.3…b]

Author’s Note:
At “La place de la Bastille”, in Paris, the center statue is called the “Colonne de Juillet” and is topped by a statue known as “La génie de la liberté”, which strongly inspired the Statue Of Liberty.

Thanks to Northernwrites for the MB

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