Bob Marcacci

                                                fasting

                                  catching up with Angela

                         you finally made it here and we went out together

           desert sun burned into us

                           the end of that month

                 walking across dirt clods          sand

                                         wastes

                    drivers stopped to ask if we needed help

                              Vito walked in the shade of a wooden wall

                                    we turned back

                       wasted by heat                sweat

                                                                 defeated memes

                               those first few days

                                    admiring mosques

                                                                                   back inside

                                                             watch the clock willing

                                            a gecko poised in the corner

                                               turned toward a number

                                          not there

10:10

lacking alcohol

                                            drink a tall glass

                                     Florida’s natural brand

                                    premium grower’s style

                                                 most pulp orange juice

                                                                              a break from planning

                                                    arguments in writing

                                                            now myself

                                                         writing poetry

    or some kind

                                                  of narrative

                                                of the unknown

                                                Islam autumn

                                                i don’t know where

                                                  i’m going

                                                    i look at numbers

                                           five minutes have elapsed

                                                look again at the clock

                                                 no change

                                                    empty glass on counter

                                                all lights on in an empty

                                                  apartment

      we fade

     we who

     read     :     hurried

  we page turn and to

       each we love

      we improve

our desert home

     we hope

    we roam closer

     we dote

                                                            don’t 

                                                23:45

                                    Arabic numerals in their natural

                                          order

                                                     sleep bends my head lower

                                    traffic hushes past the compound

    some great moment passed

          mark some coincidence

  in what dark fold

    some told of Al Khor

                                 mangroves

               manic

     we remain the roadside attraction

greater than we were

                                     words                  worms

       worried                look out

     across chain-link                   white brick

    expanse                sun turns scarlet

                      ruins

long straight highway

           wind tones

          around buildings

       presses against windows

      brings its desert salaam

                                  sand from Saudi

     its midnight demand and racket

       shakes screens in Riyadh

                                 almost screams

                     see

          curtains breathe

            disinterestedly

        and wind whines madly          man

                                        damned

         in moments

            nearly asleep

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