So?

So, she starches your shirts,

turns your collars,

and

replenishes

all your

underwear

every

three

months.

Spick and span!

So?

Wouldn’t you rather she took you in her mouth and

pulled on you

like she is dragging the shirt off a fidgety child?

Don’t you still want her to

....

draw you out until

you release from the depths of your belly

the moan

that is the nearest you can come

to a pin-striped

cosmic om

.....

which while it lasts

threads every part of you

onto

the silk skein of the frothing web

that spreads out

to every last corner

of the

universe?

‘Well, yes

and

no’

you say...

You say

you would prefer

to have

...

both...

So?

So, you already know that,

as time succeeds

where you

don’t,

eventually

you’ll prefer the shirt.

So,

you tell me as a mark of pride

that she is very clean.

So?

So, explain to me why this one thing

will never change

will always stay the same,

explain to me

that feeling as you button up

your freshly laundered shirt,

break out new pants,

pull on your navy

matching

socks,

explain to me

how spick and span

and primped and cleaned,

she makes you feel

dirt?

So? was first published in Some Other Damn Rainbow -Unsanctioned Writing of the Middle East, ed. Hind Shoufani (Beirut) 2012