RIP

The heart is where compassion lives.

Without a heart others do not matter.

The heart of a country defines it’s people.

Who will we be after they finish

Ripping out our core?

The Love Fest

Un is very talented,

Intelligent too

What does it matter 

A murder or Two?

Adulation a must or

prison with others

not pc enough

to maintain

a happy God.

What choice do 

His people have?

That is why they

Love him just like

Our president.

Blooper Check

"That ain’t shit',"

Said the young soldier

At the theatre,

In the rear, waiting

For the flic to start.

I was behind him,

watched him arrive.

He and his partner

Had mud on their boots,

No twinkle in their eyes,

They met two others

Who just like them 

appeared to be taking 

a break from  the war.

The four of them

Were talking about

The week before

When a platoon

Just like theirs 

Massacred people

At the vill of My lai 

“Me and my man,"

He explained nodding 

At the soldier next to him,

"We got a new blooper

That had to be checked out.

There in a paddy

Not too far away

Was a Mamasan

And her kid with their

Buffalo planting some

Rice in the mud of a 

Field not far from their vill

We dropped in a grenade

pointed it at them,

Pulled the trigger and

Blew them away, the

Blooper checked out

just fine." He finished

With a grin

What the fuck I thought

To myself, But just then

the music began to play.

As we all stood for the 

national hymn and then

We all calmly watched

An adventure unfold

Before our very own eyes.

They are coming to kill us all

There has been a revolution,

The land of the free and

Home of the brave has 

Been taken hostage

By innumerate ignoramuses

Fearful of Ebola from Africa 

And terrorists from the Middle East

And children from Central America

They do not seem to fear 

Death from a gun

Bought closer to home
Home grown terrorists

Or the sickening rate of 

Carnage on the highway

Because others are coming

To take us away ha ha!

Chasing rainbows

Angel's rainbow is a rabbit 

Rapidly running away

She has never caught one

But, she always chases them

My rainbow is a contented life

I am always trying to find it

Although it is elusive

I am always looking.

The purpose of our lives 

Seem to be the same,

Chasing the dream

Is the important thing.

Once our goal is reached

I wonder what we'll do

will we sit on the rainbow

or find another dream or two?

Looking for the Kahn Kahlili

“ Hello my friends, Welcome to Cairo!” The smiling man said as he peered at us from the doorway of the store where we were window shopping.  

“Hello my friend.”  I replied looking up from the display of souvenirs for tourists in the window of his shop.  

“Come in, come in, there are many things for you to look at many fine souvenirs to take back when you go home.”  He said in accented English.  He stepped onto the sidewalk and gestured for us to enter his store.

“No thanks, We are just looking, we actually live here in Cairo, really in Heliopolis, and we are out on a walk, we’re on our way to the Khan al Khalili.” 

“I have many fine items in my shop, just like you will find in the Khan.  Come in, you needn’t buy anything, we are all friends.  Are you an American?”  he smiled at me under his thick mustache. 

“Yes, I’m an American, so is my wife.  We have been living here for about a year already, we are teachers at the American School of  Cairo, and we love walking around your city.”  I remarked trying to move away from the store and get back to our walk.

The store owner stepped further away from the doorway, he was dressed neatly in a starched white shirt, creased black trousers and shiny leather shoes.   

“Where are you from in America, I have a cousin in Detroit.  Do you know Detroit?”

“No, we’re from Albuquerque, New Mexico and have never been to Detroit.” I replied.

“You are from Mexico, not America?  The store keeper looked puzzled.

“No, no, we are Americans, you know, we live close to Texas.” I said as I took LaWanda’s arm ready to step out on the sidewalk and take off.

“Ah, Texas, please enter my shop and let us share a cup of tea, we will talk, you don’t have to buy anything just look.”  His enticement punctuated by a bow, a gesture to enter his store and a slight movement to block our passage.

“Alright, just a cup of tea and we will talk.” I said worn down by his persistence.  

We entered the shop passing between shelves loaded with souvenirs as he led us to a small sitting area with a coffee table, two chairs, and a small couch that all looked as if they had been plucked from Louis XIVth’s palace.  We sat down and a young woman wearing a black head scarf and a full length black dress covering her body from neck to foot entered, her exposed face expressionless.  She set our tea on the table in front of the couch and withdrew. 

“Many Americans have been here, many famous people.  Let me show you.”  He opened a book on the coffee table and there were pictures of famous people, I even recognized a few.  “Let me show you a some nice things.”  He quickly stood up scurried to the surrounding shelves and picked up a small ceramic statue. 

“Here is something many Americans like, it is the Sphinx, better than you will find at the Kahn al Kahlili.” he said pushing the statue toward LaWanda.  

“No thank you!” she told him refusing to hold the Sphinx, “We are not interested in buying AnyThing!  We want to walk around and find the Khan Khalili!”  

It was as if she had told him to go to hell.  He straightened up, his eyes narrowed and holding the statue, he gesticulated emphasizing his displeasure while he spoke.   “Why you don’t buy anything, it is good merchandise, help Egypt, help me, buy from my shop!”   

He said something in Arabic and the woman reappeared, picked up our unfinished tea and retreated to the rear of the store.  The owner turned his back on us and went back to the doorway ready to cast his line again leaving us sitting all alone on the uncomfortable French furniture.

“Well,” I said, “that sure pissed him off.”  We smiled at each other, got up, walked past him in his doorway, and continued walking toward the Khan Kahlili.