Afghanistan (August 25th 2021)
-FOR HEELAI
Watching TV at home.

Twenty years of history
undone
in not much more than
two days.

What happened
to the person I studied with?
The woman
who moved back to Kabul
and founded
a feminist magazine?

She has a family now.
She has a kid.

Hoping
she is among the refugees,

I constantly watch my phone,
hoping it will ring,

as the old regime drives in.

~

Hollywood
When managers audit a factory,
we workers call it Hollywood.

Because
we make all your dreams come true.

The floors are clean,
the assembly line in perfect order.
Not one thing out of place.

No cursing: perfect discipline.
Everything in perfect shape.

Then the manager
goes out the door
and everything
just dissipates.

We have a tight schedule.
Don’t you understand?

Everything follows this principle.

An increase in production.
Supply and demand.