Coellner Sicht II
Behold, O Muse, the great city of Cologne, fortress of the Rhine, whose towers rise like the spears of warriors and whose barges ply the wine-dark river as the ships of ancient kings. Through the lens of my faithful image-maker I captured these scenes, stripped of all color like the marble statues of old, rendered in the somber shades of black and white—the hues of eternity itself.
Some there are who claim this city lacks the gifts of Aphrodite, who see no beauty in its stone and steel and the vessels that bear commerce upon the waters. Yet to me, who calls this place home, it holds a glory beyond measure. For these streets and alleys have witnessed my passage from youth to manhood, have seen me grow as the olive tree grows strong and deep in its native soil.
As the new year dawned in the season of renewal, I sought to honor this place that shaped my spirit—a city where the memories of days gone by linger like the echoes of songs sung by the departed, where the stones themselves hold tales of those who walked these paths before me.