Sister
       for Dahlia and Serene

You’re debke and tamarind
Orange blossom and zaatar
You’re the muse
And the poet both
The thousandth book
In the library of Alexandria

You’re the secret
Passed between friends
The unexpected laugh
Bouncing down sidewalks
And rolling into alleyways

You’re the sweeping city of Beirut
Sparkling skyline
And diamond dreams
The valley of Baalbek
Figs ripening in midday sun
Wash fluttering in the wind

You’re the safe harbor,
The escape,
From countless trials
And tribulations
From the ceaseless trepidation
Of mortars and F-16s
You’re the well
At the end of the water line
The bread doled out
From the corner bakery

You’re rosary beads
Weaving between creased hands
The click of every prayer
The whispered promise
            Tomorrow will be
            Tomorrow will be