Manama Airport

The men in suits, the men in African robes,
the men in jeans and sports shirts,

    none look out of place.

The women in abayas and saris and long skirts,
the women in slacks and blouses
(some with, some without headscarves, depending on race),

    none look out of place.

But the anonymous silent women faceless in veils,
and the noisy drunk in-your-face blatant females
in shorts that barely cover their barelys,
they look alien even in a Gulf airport.
The extremes have to be more extreme here to stand out...

    but it can be done.

Robin Helweg-Larsen

If you have any comments on this poem, Robin Helweg-Larsen would be pleased to hear from you.