Eating Turkish Pizza from a café
Sun setting behind the Blue Mosque
Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer
She caught your eye two tables across
Smiled and motioned you to her side
You sat a while playing hard to get
Thinking her gain might be your loss
She had jet-black hair and dark eyes
And there was no dissuading her
She got up and walked over to you
Seated herself all smiles and thighs
She spoke English though not well
Asked where are you from
And you unthinking said Australia
Ah, she says, you know I could tell
Our two countries have relationship, yes?
She might be referring to the war,
Gallipoli, a shared history of being fucked
By colonial powers, but that's just a guess
I like Australians, she says, don't you like me?
You want to say yes but you know
She's on the take like everybody else
In this place where every tourist is a money tree
You order another beer and one for her too
Not because you're buying her hard sell
Or because you think she's going to put out
But as a tourist you don't want to appear rude
I know a bar close to here - you will come?
You think what possible harm can it do
She's lively and cute and could put you
In touch with locals who know how to have fun
Why close yourself off to experience?
Life is to be lived - at least before you die
So you say yes, letting her take your hand
Cursing those beers but hang the expense
She leads you through night streets dark and near
In a foreign city toward you don't know where
Alarm bells ringing but dully quashed as they are
By exotic perfume on the air and too much beer
Suddenly she stops by an ancient vestibule
Her arms around your neck lips on yours
Dragging you into the deepening shadows
The pull of her taste and scent irresistible
That's when they jump you - two of them at least
She steps aside, punch to your gut then the head
Rip off the coat with your wallet and phone
Kick you in the balls then sprint into the street
Lying on your back, swallowing blood
You look up at the distant stars and laugh
Knowing life is meaningless in the dark
Yet there are a billion suns burning above
© shaun patrick green 2011
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