left my phone unlocked
on the taxi’s back seat,
won't be the last time

called it a few times
finally, the driver picked up

he had a fare immediately after mine,
and was now headed way downtown,
and would call later
when fate returned him nearer my office

and so it came to pass,
very shortly thereafter,

we met on the street,
he rolled down  the window
and with the greatest smile of pleasure,
as if he had won the lottery
beaming,
handed me my phone

I had two $20's to cover any expense he might have incurred,
neatly folded in my hand  
and offered it right up, right away;
but the driver repeatedly pushed my hand away
as I insisted,
saying:

"No sir, no no, not necessary!

Allah sent me a fare
that took me soon back close to you, so,
  no loss of time did I suffer,
so your offer is kindly unnecessary!"

to which I replied,

"exactly!
Allah sent you to me
so I could reward you!"

and with an equally, beaming smile I continued,

"our ride and meeting today,
together was pre-ordained it was

Inshallah!" ^

something he could not dispute...
or my knowledge thereof and it’s
proper pronouncement,
nor
his amazement,
to disguise!

  we parted ways
   each believing,
   each receiving,
a heavenly check plus,
each, credited with a mitzvah^^
on our
respective trip logs,
our humanly divine balance sheets,
kept by the
single
supreme taxi dispatcher

*      *      *      and you are      *      *            
   *           *  just­ like the moon *      *          
*        *   *      -----so, alone-----      *      *    
   *      *    but you shine bright  *      *    
*     *            at the darkest  *      *     *
   *      *      *     of times  *      *      *      *    
*           *           *           *         *          

one day i'll forget the abc's
just as i have forgotten my own name,

& i'll ask my cup of water,
but it won't respond.
i'll curse it.
how rude can one get?
not to answer to their elder?

& it'll fall on the floor,
the plastic making a soft boing as
it bounces onto the tiles.
that's a funny sound.
i giggle.

i'll turn back to the abc's.
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h , i , j, k , l,
i stop. what comes next?
it was the first letter of my name, wasn't it?
round and long, like n, but not...

& i'll look to the left.
there'll be an old lady there,
and i smile when i notice her numerous wrinkles.
thank god i'm not like that.
i wonder what i'm like.
i can't remember my own face anymore.

& my back hurts. & my vision's blurry.
and i still- i can't seem to remember
what comes after L.

& i'll wonder, but i'll get distracted.
i get distracted easily, i find.
i don't know why it's so hard to focus anymore.
it seems that everything's moving too fast.

i watch as a spider crawls across the ceiling.
i think i used to be scared of those.
what's it called? the fear of spiders?
i'm pretty sure i had it.

i reach for my glass of water, but it's gone.
where did it go?
i could have sworn it was right next to me.
i'm thirsty.

and i still can't remember...

what had i forgotten?

winter couldn't be hotter
the snowflakes burn into my skin
my blood boils and i cry
yet my tears freeze before
they hit the ground