Jarash: a spread of Greek, Roman metropolis
Trip Start
Mar 02, 2008
1
4
7
Trip End
Mar 26, 2008
Jarash,
Jordan
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Impressive row on row of columns
Laid low by earthquake,
Raised again to show the scale of the ancient world.
Oval and circular plazas, temple to Zeus,
More columns aligned than Washington DC.
And yet even more are jumbled in pieces
With broken pediments, all along the sides.
Having seen cart and chariot tracks
Worn in the stones along Cardo Maximus
Do I need to see the Apian Way?
This, a fitting tribute to Roman influence in the Middle East.
Move forward 900 years: Saracens under Saladen
Gather strength, counter the Crusades,
Build Aljun to isolate, defeat Crusaders.
Exacting tolls from caravans to support their huge hilltop castle.
Then forward another 900 years to
Modern Christian mission, orphanage, school.
Our Lady of the Mountain in Gilead
Argentine priests and sisters serving all.
Those priests and sisters working hard
Supporting Christianity, ideals of brotherhood,
Reinforcing a small Christian minority,
In a region striving in other directions.
Jordan, a crossroads for centuries,
A panorama of past to present in each day,
Suffering in so many ways
From the Middle East problems swirling over its borders.
Jordan, poor in natural resources,
We find it rich in people resources,
Preserving, highlighting its rich past,
Hoping for a bright future.
