At night the temple cat

Hides in the shadows of

The giant pillared hall

At Karnak

Silently rushing from one

To another

Passing pools of moonlight

With her dusty feet

Ignoring the infinite height

Of the lotus stalks cast in stone

Crossing the empty court

Finally reaching the friendly pillars

Under a starlit sky painted on stone

Where she stops at a pillar's foot

And decides to rest

Motionless sits with eyes of gold

In silver moonlight

At night the temple cat.

(170897)

*always*

small shops scattered on a street

centring on a building

that does not fit the scene

a shop window comes to us

invites us

and we stare

at the left, where middle-aged

balding men sing

their songs of beautiful women

at the right, where beautiful women

sing songs of wonderful worlds

and the shop lets us in

to a plethora of cassettes

that climb the walls

in shelves to the ceiling

a many- coloured picture

and a small, stocky muslima

in a scarf smiles at

the European women,

selling songs of Egypt.

(180797)

FLAKES OF LIMESTONE TALK

S D

C E

ATTER

ON A DESERT FLOOR

IN GLARING SUNLIGHT

(170897)