POETRY

He strained to hear, yes,
a female voice, repeating
"Djinni Djinn Djinn!
Come through the howlin' wind!
Come to your purple kin!"

It sounded like the falls
that Aladdin had stepped in
before he got himself lost,
the deepest rumble now
and more frightening.

The round moist walls
reflected his meager light
yellow and flickering.
All around laid jewels
scepters, coins and crowns.

All of it dead, all of it old.
His footsteps led nowhere,
or to the same spot, the same
enormous circular cave.
He was bitterly cold.

Suddenly, his lamp went out
and Darkness, huge, appeared.
It filled the room, then his head.
He whimpered: "Oh God!
Let me out of here, I beg!

I'll be your humble slave!
I'll cook for all that I may,
day and night, I swear!"
Darkness boomed, baritone,
"Who dares speak of him here?"

"Do you think it's midday?
and this some blue-tiled mosque?
Prepare yourself to die
to be fried or roasted
for I have traveled far!"

Shivering, Aladdin said:
"Is there any where
where prayer goes unheard?"
The Djinn's laughter
rattled all the coins:

"Shouldn't it be reversed?
You mean where prayer's heard?"
"Well no. Look at the Akhounds.
Or where the oil is found!"  (said Aladdin)
"You stupidest of the folk,"

Chuckled the Djinn.
"Do you know how long it took
for all the plants to store
this so called precious oil?
Do you know it's my work

to release it in the air?
I poison your land,
and your lungs, I prepare
the loveliest heat wave
to make hell's flame flare!

And as for your friends,
who do you think signs
their temporary sighe?
Who fills their bellies, their head
with all the false amends?"

"I have been warned of your
trickery and lies before.
I know I'll be well. Away,
with your doom and gloom,
I won't listen any more."

"YOU told me about your oil!
Happiness may be
in Sweden or Japan,
but where in moslem land?
What are you hiding for?"

Aladdin thought in all stories
a deal is made, a double cross.
"I can show you, if you will
carry me on your back,
you'll find you're completely wrong.

If what I'll show you
does not satisfy your head,
you are free to eat me
I'll be on your back, in the air
behind your muscles strong."

The deal is made, even though
for the life of me I cannot fathom
why a Djinn would honor
such an unwitnessed affair.
In the air they flew, Iran-Air.

They visited the harems
of Abu-Dabi and Dubai,
The million dollar rings,
cars, and slaves working
to build empty tower heads,

sewer flowing in beaches, stained
with tanker's black smoke,
giant boats dragging all aquatic
life forms in mile long nets,
everywhere guns, missiles and silos,

and pictures of hate,
All of Aladdin's Middle East
in war or ruin or worse,
booby traps for boys, gays,
soldiers of fortune, or forced.

Not once they saw, at ease,
an honorable family earning
enough for a simple meal
through work or in the fields.
The young lay in opium dreams.

"You tricked me again."
Aladdin finally said.
"This is not a world I've seen!"
Djinn's smile widened.
"You failed to add - Yet!"

(Aladdin's last trip)
jam09