One more story he said In a restaurant in Amsterdam
a young woman came in
speaking Arabic I said you are Iraqi
she said I haven't eaten for three days
I said what do you mean she said
I need to turn turn myself in
this was a strange language to me
a different logic Come and sit I said
food brought out she ate finally
spoke her husband now in Istanbul
they'd escaped Iraq her was taxi driver
sold his car paid $5,000 to Turkish driver
to send her Instanbul to Amsterdam
a big truck crates of fruit and vegetables
had a tiny space in the middle kept her
there gave her food and water supposed to last
seven days lasted four strange language
mouth of the truck she was stuck
in one position for seven days could not
move crates of figs pallets cracked
blocked lodged then they just dropped her
in the middle of Amsterdam right then she was
hoping waiting turn myself in my husband not
far behind strange language to me I did not
understand turn myself in in the middle
of Amsterdam do you speak speak
Copyright Credit: Phillip Metres, "One more story he said in a restaurant in Amsterdam" from To See the Earth (Imagination). Copyright © 2008 by Phillip Metres. Reprinted by permission of Cleveland State University Poetry Center.
Source: To See the Earth (Imagination) (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2008)