You Are Always in My Heart

2002, Beirut, Lebanon: Asphalt, cigarettes, French fries. I felt the hum of the city through the souls of my feet as I trod open pavement from shop to shop, the streets congested and narrow and the sidewalks plied with neighbors greeting neighbors, playing Backgammon, drinking coffee and tea. Straight up was the sky and on the way, apartment buildings towering into the sun. The walk was a long one, and I was soaked by the end with sweat and the tears I would cry at departure, but I held many treasures including memories that would rekindle with the heat every summer to come.

image from pixabay.com