Jaffa Gate
Midday
Harsh sun
Embroidery and souvenirs
A golden cross
A checkered keffiyeh
A nun asks, “How much?”
Beside her
An elderly Palestinian woman says nothing
Then – the siren
Not a taxi
Not a whistle
An alarm
Thunder in the sky
Far away
But shaking
Even those who aren’t afraid
The moment the siren sounds at Jaffa Gate – people freeze, look up, and space transforms. A striking moment in Jerusalem.
(Video: Jerusalem Online – Barry Shahar)
The nuns don’t run
The woman in black stands still
The child with the ice cream looks up
The mother doesn’t know where to go
A young man from East Jerusalem
Lifts his eyes
Doesn’t run
Doesn’t speak
A city of gold
A city of steel
A city of split perception
One siren
Three languages
Infinite feelings
Today’s Jerusalem
Is not just who launched
But who felt it
And who didn’t
By the holy stones stall
A tourist asks, “Is it real?”
Gets a look that says, “What do you think?”
The siren rings
But the question floats longer
Some peek out from windows
Some don’t bother closing them
In East Jerusalem
A siren isn’t an order
It’s a suggestion
One more sound among many
The muezzin’s voice
Pauses mid-prayer
Almost collides with the alarm
Sounds like a prayer
With no clear direction
The policeman across the street
Touches his radio
But says nothing
He doesn’t run
He doesn’t warn
He’s just checking
If someone else already did
Blue tourist caps
Huddle under a stone arch
Some think it’s a shelter
Others know it’s just a wall
In Jerusalem, even stone doesn’t always protect
On the side
An old Arab man
Holds a glass of tea
And watches the siren
As if it’s an old memory
That lost its power to surprise
