Ode to Samarkand

Samarkand!

Fabled city of my dreams.

I yearn to walk the Old Silk Road,

traversing hill and sand until

I stand and stare at bygone times

revealed in streets and walls so fine.

Since antiquity, mighty

warriors have coveted you.

Sogdians and Greeks,

Turks and Persians,

Arabs and Mongols,

Timurids, and Uzbeks.  

Even Russians came.

All desiring wealth and prestige,

waging bloody war for you.

Conquest and development

spiral down the ages.

Traces in the sand.

Empires have come and gone.

Yet still you stand, insignia

of prosperous days of old

when merchants from East

and West traded goods, stories

and ideas; enriching cultures,

peoples and silk purses.

Still, I dream of walking alleys

of ancient mosques, minarets,

mausoleums and madrasahs,

beauties of blue and gold, that

helped fashion the ancient East.

Worthy testaments of Faith,

Beauty, Endurance and Hope.

Samarkand!

 My heart

yearns for

You.

Bio.

Margaret Blake has been writing for many years, but it is only in retirement that she has focused on creative writing. Her stories and poems have been published in anthologies in the UK, India and online. She is a co-administrator of the online writing group, ‘Aspiring Writers’ Society’, and is on the editorial team of their e-zine. Back home, she is active in the local community and, when not reading or writing, can be found working in her garden or walking her dog amongst the beautiful hills of Wales.