[this looks better on my site]

…is strong, so you must be strong to love her.
Many have tried but none lie as deep, as straight

There’s no-one beside her for all these numberless days.
no hero steps into the ring, not a Hercules, Jason or Perseus
none have, no-one holds

for Yasmine’s heart is fixed to the wall
of the Great Sultan’s granary* forever,

or
until
the next
big earthquake
opens the sky above her
and time starts again in wind
and birdsong and rain running down

hidden on this dusty floor, Yasmine’s heart is easily missed.
Guides will never mention nor direct your attention to
Yasmine’s heart

…doesn’t know fashion or seasons, her art is open
So perhaps you’ll try, though you can never hold
Yasmine’s heart.

* Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727). The granary is a vast empty complex designed to feed the Sultan’s 12,000 horses. Meknes, Morocco.