Egyptian Bus Tour

Gazing through the darkness
of tinted windows
watching the animated world

of donkey carts loaded
with fruits and vegetables
traveling along the same road
with Mercedes and BMWs.

The other vehicles - discarded
remnants from more affluent
countries - Volkswagen buses,
Toyota taxis, Ford vans and
Kawasaki motor scooters,

tightly packed with passengers,
competing for space along
the overflowing streets.

The sound - a discordant mix
of machine and human suffering.

Women dressed in burkas
move anonymously
in full public view.

Some carry their laundry,
in large wicker baskets,
perfectly balanced on their heads

with children trailing
behind like feral kittens.

The smell of sweat and rotting
food seeps through the door
while the tour bus crawls
through the heart of Cairo

to the pyramids up ahead.