Istanbul the Grand Bizarre
0 comments // Written by Stephen on April 16 2019 in
Istanbul the Grand Bizarre
Istanbul is a place
For dreamers to find
Reality in a dream
The horizon is lined with
Dazzling domes and minarets
Of embedded long-standing mosques
And there are the markets
Bazaars swelling with merchants and spices
And carpets delivered in every pattern
Fabric
Style and sales pitch imaginable
The whimsical things read in story books
Seen in movies
Viewed in expansive photographs
Are indeed very much there
But there is more
And I would not call it another side
Because like the multitudinous circular
Mandala designs of their ceilings
Everything in Istanbul flows in and out
Of itself
Over and over
The same as the woven
Ottoman rugs hanging in the alleys
Adjacent to the calls to prayer
Are the ploys of scam artists
As one hand delivers you
A sample of Turkish delight
Another may be exploring
Your pocket
Searching for the sensation
Of a plump leather wallet
There is an ugliness
In the city
Painted in seamlessly with
the mosaic beauty
Of the culture
But if Istanbul is located
In the cradle of the world
Where man was first born
Then it also remains
Where suckers are born
Every second
This is not a warning
Or a grim “stay of the grass “
It is the reality
That if you travel in certain parts of the world
You must be vigilant
As the tiles of the old sultan’s harem
Steal your breath
Don’t be lost in whimsy
So that your credit card is picked
In the gift shop
Every Turk is not a crook
Just as every city is not a cesspool
But it just so happens
The Turks have centuries
Of experience in hustling
Foreigners with sweet smiles
Charming stories
And expansive schemes
As experience goes
This was not my every day in Istanbul
But it was my every other day
This was the reality I encountered
Within the vision
That is Istanbul
Dreams are different for everyone
So are experiences
For those more traveled
It is the grit sometimes
The scams, the haggling,
The shiftiness where
A queer charm can be found
Like the pirate with a gold tooth and an eye patch
Something is not quite right
But we find it endearing
We observe it
We drink it up
But we are careful not to open the door
All the way
But we welcome the view
The gap reveals
Istanbul is a glistening gem
It is a colossus among great cities
It must be seen, smelled, tasted, and visited
But like an animal
Like any truly wild and massive thing
While marveled
It should be treated with respect and caution
It is a gap-toothed supermodel
It’s an anti-hero
It is the cracks in the Mona Lisa
And the adorable three-legged dog
Strange and wonderful
Peaceful and dangerous
Ancient and mercantile
It is the grand bizarre
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