Ya Old Jaffa

Where have you gone? All the tales being tolled about your oranges and lemons - where are they now? Buried under the rubble of old houses, under the walls of newly build real estates, under the foundation of new tourist apartments. Where did your old beauty go? It's vanishing during the years under the feeds of thousands of tourists which made believe that the streets they are walking are the old ones of the Crusaders, the Ottoman Empire or pre 1948 Palestinian build pathways towards the port.
Having been hear every now and than since a couple of years, you feel the atmosphere changing.
The main language you hear is Hebrew (not that I have anything against it) but its strange in a supposed Arab city. The way people look around changes, you often see old Arab man cleaning the streets. I am wondering where the young ones are. (Destroying there old houses and building the new shiny ones)
Old Palestinian houses aren't renovated or rebuild - I heard that already fall 2008 and seeing it with my own eyes. Palestinians setting on their broken bench in front of house, hold together with an improvised metal frame. Close by shines a sign


It reads "Luxurious and Unique Apartments & Penthouses" and in the back of the picture you see the wall holed together by a metal frame.

Oh Old Jaffa
where have you gone?
the see is endlessness rolling
and the wind strongly blowing
salt in the air
heat makes the flair
the clock is ringing
Muezzin singing
Rabbi whispering

time moves on
Oranges are gone
sun is down and night has come
stars and moon shine strong
people walk the quay
getting equal thereby
dreaming of the days gone
dreaming of the days to come

having Jaffa in mind
bagging it be (our) kind

I think Mahmoud Darwish found nicer words on Jaffa - cant find them - so used my own words ...

The moon above Jaffa - its not going to change!