I remember, well, what it was like to be a restless kid in school. So, I was super proud to visit the Modern English School (MES), a cultural oasis in the desert, run by my amazing aunt, Sawsan Dajani.
MES is one of the best foreign language schools in Egypt, as is Cairo American School (CAC) that I attended as a young man.
Over the years, students have studied my writing in English classes at MES and I’ve kept in touch with teachers there.
Here, is a little poem of mine that they featured in their yearly agenda book, from my poetry collection Balancing Acts
It was heartwarming during my short visit to be invited to briefly speak to a literature class and share my poetry with young readers.
This is one of my poems that I read to them:
Cairo
I buried your face, someplace
by the side of the new road
so I would not trip over it
every morning or on evening strolls
still, I am helplessly drawn
to the scene of this crime
for fear of forgetting
the sum of your splendor
then there’s also the rain
that loosens the soil
to reveal a bewitching feature
awash with emotion
an eye, perhaps tender or
a pale, becalmed cheek
a mouth tight with reproach or
lips pursed in a deathless smile
other times you are inscrutable
worse, is when I seem to lose you
and pick at the earth like a scab
frantic, and faithful, like a dog.
Afterwards, I was given a tour of the school and had more opportunities to goof around with the kids.
Finally, my wife and I ended up at my aunt’s elegant office for a chat and a chance to catch up.
