Abu Dhabi Rhythm (for the workers)

an apartment building in Abu Dhabi (click image to see larger view)

God bless the rhythm of this city.
Bless the workers whose hands laid these stones bricks asphalt in meticulous order
made this place worth looking at.
Bless their sons– whose days start at 5 am supplicating in the mosque.
Bless the rhythm of the city.
And the water faucets in front of the mosque standing up to the noon sun
not backing down so easy.
And the one who placed the communal cup there for the wayfarer laborers to stop and have a second of relief from the Abu-Dhabi Sun.

Bless the halal meat shop slanging pounds by the dirham
across the street from KFC
staring the Colonel in the eye — “we are not backing down so easy.”

Bless this Abu Dhabi Sun-and the sons and daughters of the immigrant workers
the wayfarer workers yelled at by this greedy building owner for losing a couple of dirhams while money still spills out his pocket in his dump in disguise
but doesn’t have the sense to treat his workers with dignity.

Bless these wayfarers’ wages— fill them with blessing for their perseverance and their patience.

bless the newspaper peddler peddling slow a one speed bike with low tread on the tires up the road—
if only we could see the Reality, if only we could see the Reality—
that his bike long ago surpassed the speed of these expensive shiny hunks of metal seeming to speed by him—
slow and steady STILL wins this race make no mistake—

God bless the humble standing boldly in a world that mocks boasts flaunts gloats and marvels at the absurd.
Fill their dirhams with blessing fill their waking moments with blessing
Fill their graves with light.

Increase the dignity of a man who stoops in a blue uniform in a plot of shade not big enough to cover him.
Rays of sun beating against his back as he bends to sweep the cracks of the pavement most are not not suited to walk across— most are not worth a bead of sweat on the inside of his palm that grips the broom he sweeps with.

Bless the ones who hold these piles of bricks across their slender backs
Bless the ones who hold these piles of bricks together– make it worth looking at.

Bless these wayfarers who work tooth and nail
The Truth Prevail.

click on images to see larger view