returning back

Through time apart

our journeys split

by a sharp fork in the road

we've both expanded

​we've shifted

​here a little

there a lot

our borders have changed shape

pieces of us have disappeared

and new ones have risen up

from the ground

our amber walls remain standing

crumbled and ancient

encasing all the vibrancy inside

nestled in a valley

with the mountain above

we breathe in and out

our hearts beat

in constant rhythm

as people pass through

walking up and down our streets

wandering into our temples

taken in by a

slow, yet persistent

pulse of activity

learning about

and falling

in love

with themselves

with each other

with the journey

finding beauty in the simplicity

and depth we have on display

your charm more obvious than mine

less reserved

less controlled

freely laid bare

colorful

in a manner

I've never mastered

but I too offer an endless array

of hidden spaces

waiting to be discovered

for those who don't mind getting lost

down winding alleys

in the heat

with sticky skin

and droplets of sweat

running down their bodies

merged with you again

I've rejoined a current

a natural flow

I've been out of sync

since we parted

not daring to believe

you could still dissolve

all of me