tous les chemins mènent à rome

tutte strade

i met an old italian man once

in jerusalem

outside of the east wall

of the old city

across from the mount of olives

atop some moslem graves

he asked me

where damascus gate was

so i told him

pointed

and joked around a bit

telling him

"it's on the left"

(which is a joke because 

it could only have been

...on the left)

he laughed

i laughed

we talked a little

telling each other where we were from

our conversation tapered off

and before we parted

never to see each other

ever again

he looked at me

and told me

"all roads lead to rome."

with a smile

and smile induced squinty eyes

and i smiled too.