A Strange Face Beside Me

As most of you know, this is the poem I read for our photo presentation. The girl is Nora.

A strange face beside me
Not like me at all
She wears a veil, looks ahead,
and I am so interested
That I stare.
I wonder how she lives, what her country is like,
What does that veil mean to her?
She turns,
and I look away,
embarrassed.

I look out the window
Into the blinding light
And squint at San Fransisco.

The bus’ engine hums loudly.
Stop.
I lean forward.
Start.
I am thrown back against my seat.
Above the whine of the bus,
A stream of Arabic drowns the conversation around me.
And I gasp for air, something I know.
My stomach clenches with language claustrophobia.
It’s strange to experience culture shock in your own country.

But then she turns,
And looks at me with smiling eyes,
And says hello.
Now we are friends.