Vox Populi
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Majid Naficy: Every Night in this City
Every night in this city
Thousands of people sleep on the street:
Under pedestrian bridges,
Over house staircases
And amongst trees.
Tonight I wake up to the sound of a woman
Who on the other side of the street
Sings to herself
As if in her mind
She competes with someone else.
She sings so much that she loses her voice
Uttering only mute sounds from her throat.
I wish I could get up,
Sit next to her, look into her eyes
And invite her to a café
For breakfast.
But I am me:
Worried to open my door
To another person.
So I stay in bed
Until, like other mornings,
The sound of my alarm makes me jump
And draws me to the kitchen.
Copyright 2023 Majid Naficy
Majid Naficy is the author of many books in Persian and in English including Father & Son (Red Hen, 2003). He lives in Los Angeles.
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St Louis has a homeless encampment near its City Hall. There are no portapotties at the government building and local businesses won’t let them inside, therefore the homeless are pissing and pooping in public.
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Thanks, Reese. Homelessness is a national problem.
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The tension of life. Wanting somehow to help. Fearing to help. Starting to open. Fearing to open. Curling back into bed, good ear on the pillow.
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