Istanbul

Lonely Planet has a twitter thingy it calls 'twities', in which you are asked to write about/describe a city in less than 140 characters- one tweet. 'Istanbul' this week meant I told myself I must, random though it all is. When I did end up doing it, (just a while back) it was hurried- with much less effort and love than I would have liked to.

Whatever. Here they are. Read them and weep.

1.
Istanbul, you straddle
so much more than
water.
The past, minarets,
kebabs, cigarettes.
The me that was
he who you shaped,
history itself.

2.
tower and bridge,
spark and flame,
meat and smoke,
names in a name.
smiles and swirls,
ancient and divine,
spice and twirls;
yours, his, mine.

3.
How does your skyline soar
with buildings so low?
Your seductive past
as if alive,
Just as your heart opens
to embrace me so?