POETRY

Hello Majid-Agha, what happen here?

Why is the glass on the front door shattered?

Oh, seek shelter in god, we were held up!

It was a young man and he had a gun

He was wearing a mask

He locked us in and took the money and the keys

Wow, I am sorry to hear it

Did you have customers at the time?

Yes, two students from the Hogeschool here

They were buying frisdrinks

But, thank God, nobody got hurt

I notice, he is as white as chalk

He is wide-eyed and taken back

Do you still have some of that homemade torshi?

Yes we do, I get you a plastic dish from the back

Oh, don’t bother. I have brought my own dish

So why is the front door broken?

Did the bad guy do it?

Oh, no. When I called the police

They told us to break it and get out of the shop

In case the robber comes back

He opens the lid of a big plastic bucket

And begins spooning the pickled veggies

How much of this do you want? A kilo?

How much for a kilo?

Four Euros

Yes, that would be good.

Where is your colleague?

He is with his family today.

I have called him, he should be here soon

I can’t work the rest of today

He says: look at my hands,

And he holds out his right hand

It is trembling

I walk through the isles

Picking up a few things

Chick pea cookies, Ahmad Tea, dried lemons

Pomegranate juice and two cans of fried herbs

I put them down on the counter

I take out my list from my pocket and check it

I seem to have everything

He rings me up and I pay him

Do you think, they will ever catch him?

I don’t know, nobody saw his face

Do you want me to stay until your friend comes?

The other shopkeepers have been in and out all morning

They are looking after me, I’ll be fine

Then take care of yourself Majid-Agha and be safe!

You too! May god be with you!

-Rotterdam, Netherlands