Nancy L. Meek

THE ESSENCE OF CHARLESTON

The clop-clop-clop of the horses’ hooves
along the city streets,
The carriage rides, the mansions high,
the “City-by-the-Sea”,

The Oleanders, the Dogwood trees,
Azaleas by the mile,
The picture-taking tourists
capturing a smile,

The ocean waves, the churchyard graves,
the ghosts that haunt the night,
The market street, the battery
where soldiers braved the fight,

The basket lady’s “sweetgrass” wares,
the shops with gifts galore,
The old estates, wrought-iron gates,
the gardens held in store,

The parking waits, the sidewalk slates
that trip you in your stride,
The memories, the history
of steeples in the sky,

The recipes with benne seeds,
The harbor with its views,
The walking tours, the shaded lure
of moss-draped avenues,

The old hotels that still do well;
the walk on cobblestone,
The flowers held in outstretched hands
is the city we call, “Home”!