Marrakech, Morocco
The mayhem of the Médina
If you catch anybody’s eye
It will cost you much in dirham
Empty pockets
Outstretched hands
Abject poverty
In this barren, desert land
The dust and the dirt
The drought and dilapidation
You wander through the labyrinth
Confused but with heightened sensation
The frenzied streets
Pulse rapidly with traffic
Rudimental modes of transport
Compete for space, direction erratic
Cars, mopeds, horses and donkeys
Darting all around you
Knocking you off-course, making you wonky
A flock of chickens
Pecking at your feet
As you peruse the trinkets
And the million artisans’ treats
Pungent aromas
Permeate the air
As you battle the persistent onslaught
Of beggars everywhere
Souvenirs aplenty
They want you to take them all home
Your wish is their command
As you stare and aimlessly roam
Eventually lost
Defeated by the maze
You seek to leave the souk
That by now has you severely dazed
Helped by ‘Fatima’s’ hand
In Limona you finally find shelter
A welcome, familiar haunt
Shaded to cool your swelter
You rest there for a while
Recover from the ordeal
Of arriving in a land
So alien and unreal
A taste of something exotic
You’ve never before encountered
Culture shock a grenade to your mind
At the foot of the Atlas Mountains
You gladly drink the wine
Given freely for your nerves
That by now are shot to bits
In this place that you traverse
The kindness of these strangers
A needed comfort at last
The pace finally slowing down
After starting supersonically fast
You eventually wend your way
To the sanctuary of the riad
An oasis in the eye of the storm
A place to unwind and find peace
Tomorrow is another day
A new adventure to behold
It’s what you signed up for, after all:
An awakening for the soul.
Rachel Rhodes 