"Rezek"

Three in the morning

Jupiter stares through a crack in the ceiling

And Rezek has no time for dreams.

He gets out of bed fully dressed

And walks barefoot to the porch

Where his father pours him a small cup

Of scalding bittersweet coffee

Which he blows on and sips quickly

Slips on his shoes and runs through the night

To his uncle’s bakery.

Rezek works the furnace and the dough-cutter

Eleven hours a day and is lucky to have the job

Since his father’s bakery was destroyed by a bomb

And besides, he doesn’t have to go to school

Like those lazy dreamers! He’ll get breakfast

In another few hours. His best friend

Lost three fingers working the dough-cutter

Probably daydreaming about what could be

If it weren’t like this. Best not to daydream

If you’re twelve years old in Gaza City.

                                                July 10, 2019