<i>The ruins, which are not very remarkable, are situated on an island which <br />is almost impossible to reach ...</i> <br />Hachette Guide to the Middle East, p.1003. <br /> <br />Even from here I see <br />How stagnant and unused <br />The brackish waters lie, <br />As if the bank had oozed <br />This stream that sluggishly <br />Reflects the idle sky. <br /> <br />There is no boat to cross <br />From that ill-favoured shore <br />To where the clashing reeds <br />Complete the work of war <br />Together with the grass, <br />And nesting birds, and weeds. <br /> <br />I read that now there is <br />Almost no evidence - <br />No walls or pottery - <br />Of what I know were once <br />The walks and palaces <br />Love lent to you and me.<br /><br />Dick Davis<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/touring-a-past/
