perching up high...

looking out of the window
from the fifth floor of the building without elevator

I caught a whiff of the now familiar aroma of this city

diesel fume of the perpetually honking taxis
gasoline fume of the zooming Land Cruisers
fragrant aroma of the various kebab corners….
and the familiar throat choking dust carried by the desert wind
whistling through the windows of my classroom

and I cannot be grateful enough
for the fact that the wind was blowing the ‘right’ way
instead of filling my mouth with the taste of the light brown city dust

Oh how sometimes I wish I had brought my pashmina along…



Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies & Yemen Language Center

Sana’a, June 21, 2009