©PHILLY 

A Poem by Myra Wexler Darwish

I’ve walked her cobblestoned streets

 And historic byways, 

With loving footsteps

 That respected always  

Those who had trodden before me.

I have been nurtured by Philly’s cultured air.

 On Rodin, on science in her museums, 

On history and art, 

On books both old and new,

Waiting for me to read in old, musty outdoor stalls.

 I’ve rode her trolleys, subways, and buses,

 The links that helped me to get where I needed to go. 

To schools, to shopping, to family, 

To feed my spirit

 To maintain my freedom.

Her sensory experiences were like no other. 

The sticky, acrid smelling streets of summer,

The softened air of a warm autumn day, 

The children’s cold, rosy cheeks after a walk in the snow, 

The buds freshly bursting on the maples in early spring.

Philly has nurtured my soul,

 My body/mind and spirit.

 Rich in the kind of character 

That molds precious memories in the heart,

 Long after one has moved on.