smoke rising
filling the sky
from hundreds
of grills
the smell
of meat roasting
here
by the sea
Iftar
ramadan
drums in the night: 2:15am in Maltepe
there it is
the drum beat
a reminder
to wake
to eat
before dawn
and for reasons
of my own
eat two eggs
fried sucuk
and bread
an atonement
for what I did
and didn’t do
a small offering
to whatever faith
I have