Cairo, Mine

You and I
We’ve been friends all these years
Your weary streets have brought me comfort
Running through the glorious rain
The dust that settles on my eyes
Like a gentle kiss
From the khamaseen winds
(The fifty days of dust)
Clouding over the Cairo skies like a forlorn blanket
I feel protected
Even when you’ve been set on fire
Dark faces moving through your alleyways
Sharp metal shining in the moonlight
I’ve found solace
In the shadows of your corner shops
In the smiling old men
Who shield me from the dark
(strangers)
Breathing
Hoping to see the day
When we can all be free
But you always were

Majestic, forgiving
Vibrant and resilient
In the breaths of each and one of us

You’ve been my friend
In my solitude
Walking in your silence
And wondering how I never once doubted you
Or wanted to leave you
Even thousands of miles away
I’ve heard your name and thought ‘Home’

I wish they could see you
In the reflection of the lights on the Nile
The breeze that dances through the women’s dark hair
The worn out eyes of the lions guarding your bridge
This city was never mine
yet I have always been yours
a piece in your cobblestones
like millions before me
I will die and disintegrate
into the dust of this city

I wish they could see how
You never lost your glory
Even when blood ran through your streets
And bodies were dragged along your pavements
You stood silent
And loving
I’ve never left you
Even in my sleep