outside with the smokers
though I don’t smoke
but Suleyman entertains me
with his version of Turkish history
and I get to watch the groups of friends
later while alone
drinking their beer
the laughter
and the outdoor heaters
keeping the cold at bay
I kid Suleyman later
about the absence of Irish whiskey
at a bar named after
an Irish city
so drink red wine
instead
and eat the bowls of nuts
get pleasantly numb
and walk back home
buy some fruit from Ali’s partner
tangerines strawberries two pears
and climb the stairs
the cat belly up
on the floor
expecting a rub and his treats
and settle in to watch a movie
Miller’s Crossing
passing on No Country for Old Men
since I’m more or less
living that line
have some more wine
popcorn and strawberries
get drowsy
fall asleep in the chair
the cat purring in my lap
wake sometime after midnight
to write these lines
life in exile
on the other side
of the world