Madrid

All Poems, Food, Madrid, Spain, Time, Trips and Places

Twenty-five Minutes

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Tickets for Chagall’s exposition, secured.

Still a twenty-five minute wait for entrance.

Why not a coffee at the Gran Café de Gijón?

Founded in 1888 by Gumersindo Gómez.

Named to honor his town in Asturias.

Hosting Spanish intellectuals.

Gathering in tertúlias to talk.

Think, debate, discuss.

Continuing to this day.

Welcoming people to meet.

Opening arms to friends, to us.

To grab a beer, coffee, tea, ice cream.

Comment on books, arts, travels.

While we wait for entry.

The four of us sitting face to face

where luminaries once shared views.

Pondering politics, art, literature,

at the Gijón Café, their muse.

 

Lynn Benjamin

February 6, 2024

 

All Poems, Art/Arts, Madrid, Spain, Trips and Places

Happenstance

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It was happenstance.

On our one and only day in Madrid.

Fundación Mapfre debuted an exhibit.

A trajectory of works by Marc Chagall.

Artist we admire.

For Jewish folkloric themes.

Painting poetry.

Bold colors.

Surreal imagery.

The display guided us through his life.

The many losses.

Dashed hopes for the Russian Revolution.

Grief over two world wars.

Destruction of his birthplace, Vitebsk.

Massacres of fellow Jews.

In pogroms, the Holocaust.

Death of his beloved Bella.

We felt his pain.

His joys, nostalgias.

Wandering halls.

For Marc Chagall invites you in

to enter his dreamworld,

where hues, metaphors, protagonists,

moved, floated, spun, and swirled.

 

Lynn Benjamin

February 6, 2024

 

 

 

All Poems, Food, Madrid, Miracles, Spain, Trips and Places

If Only the Train

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If only the train hadn’t broken down, lamented Bob.

As we rushed down stairs to another track.

To catch a functioning one to Madrid.

From Alcalá de Henares.

Where we’d meet friends for comida.

Worrying the delay would make us late.

But, arriving on the dot.

A miracle just like the one we were about to experience.

Returning to Madrid after many years.

How do you embrace a city?

You knew well in your youth?

Coming to see her often.

Walk the old neighborhoods.

Visit friends in the new.

You, deteriorating, wrinkling.

While the city refurbishes.

Keeps up with the times.

Perhaps exceeds them.

We know only to retrace familiar steps.

Plaza Mayor, Arco de Cuchilleros.

Casa Botín.

Itself a witness to three centuries.

Early on, feeding traders.

Becoming the world’s first restaurant in 1725.

Keeping its hallmark oven.

Using wood of the evergreen oak.

To make Castilian asados.

Today, its tiled walls still inspiring.

Its smoky aromas arousing appetites.

After eating, we go off with friends to wander.

Royal Palace, Gran Vía.

Point out places we once took our children.

Ourselves.

Where we met older friends, long gone.

Though the train broke down,

we made it to Madrid.

While we slip by in time,

the city will us outlive.

 

Lynn Benjamin

February 5, 2024

asados: roast meats