Sitting on her back porch
Drinking iced tea
Cool
Refreshing
Smoking Cigarettes
Watching the silver braids
Coil and twist
With the breeze

"So what did you do last night?"
I asked
Feeling in my gut the answer

"Oh, I got home about one last night."
She says with a voice
Speaking with innocence
Corrupted
By those who will not listen
"And Nadar left about three."

Not what I wanted to hear

He was coming to pick her up
To go where
He had not told her

I looked through the house
From my seat
To the front window
Once clear
Now clouded with dust
Neglected

Talking to her
While she did her makeup
She bitched about her sister
And her step dad
Soon to be ex-step dad
I looked out
The dusty window
Waiting for his camel
To pull up

Meeting him
The first time
At the fireworks show
On the fourth
She was glad to see him
After four years
I was not                 

He had said
"I'm from Lebanon
Ever hear of it."

She didn't notice
This side of him
She was happy
And I was now
Out of the picture
Again

In her front yard
About to leave
She was upset with me
For being mean
To him
So I decided to be nice
For her
But only in public

As I left
She sat to wait for him
He was late
And I was gone

Feeling the cold rain
Fall upon me
And staring into
A clear blue sky