Without The Bombs of Beirut

Beirut’s orgy in 18 confessions, Olé! Screamed and drowned Tom Jones served the Hummus near the pools of private clubs Orange crush between their legs, teenagers practiced re-innocence Dreams of heeled yachts, Monaco and Royal blow, effervescent geist

Beneath the soil of imported champagne corked in a clown’s red nose Beyond the camps ’n hated enemies and jealous friend’s smiles sardonic Lurked world-stage trade-craft, spy vs spy groping public monkey bars Every prostitute, every little star, humping Roman Ruins, midsummer orchestras

A Beirut without a bra, without a weave, without the heave of history up its sleave Without its brothers’ bombs, its neighbors’ used condoms, its drunk allegiances Its infantile incorrigible charm, “Shoo? Sex Kamen?” Crop Circle sized question marks A beauty mark, a tambourine strike, brain matter splattered equidistant from my heart.

Bedros Afeyan 2-6-2014 Pleasanton, CA