P0ETRY, OBSERVATIONS, PERFORMANCE PIECES

 POETRY, OBSERVATIONS, VIGNETTE"S, PERFORMANCE PIECES

BY

BINA SHARIF

IRRESISTABLE LONGING

Longing to to talk to my brother Arshad...

To see his face...

To see his charming smile

To laugh

To laugh together

To gossip

To drink champaign

To drink champaign together...

To eat fish cakes from Citerella. 

To walk...

Go for long walks...

To travel to our country...

To eat paratha...

Together again

To be happy again...

YOU

Don't need them.

I can go to Balthazar alone

To Rockway beach

To lafyette

To laudree

To Saint Ambrose

To Bam

To public theater

To Broadway

To the ferry

To Lincoln Center

To the Met

To Moma

To Rockway beach

By the ferry

To Williamsburgh

To Dumbo

Why must I need you?

Why must I think of you?

Why?

Why?

But I do....

PARROT/ TOTA

I need a bird

The bird I can talk to...

A bird who will talk back to me...

I need a TOTA

A PARROT

I will say, "Hello" Are you happy?"

And Tota will say, "Hello, are you happy?"

I will say, "Are you hungry?"

Tota will say, "Are you hungry?"

Tota never asks questions ...

Tota just repeat what you say...

Unlike people...

Who starts to Interogate you like you are in a court and all of them are prosecuters...

And your defence lawyer is late...

He tells you, "Don't answer any questions till I come."

But he is always late...

So after so many questions being asked by the so called friends

Who are now licensed prosecutors, and the defence lawyer is missing...

One wonders...

Why not look for just one more friend, a brand new friend?

A TOTA...

PERFECT.

I just need a TOTA in my life...

No one else...

Absolutely...

No need of any one argumentative...

Are we under a criminal law suit?

"Were you ever criminally charged for anything?"

God forbid...

I am not Kevin Spacey...

'I am under oath and I tell you again and again,"

"The truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god.

I have never abused any one, psychologically, physically, verbally

and especially sexually, No, never...I haven't even masterbated

in my own bed or in my own bathroom.

So why, whenever I am with my so called friends, they instantly

become prosecutors and the cafe asumes the atmosphere of a court room

where I am the victim being asked all kinds of questions?

"Darling, you are in America and we are a system of question

and answer session during our happy hour of seeing friends,

and if you are not used to being questioned and here in our

country every question must be answered, that's the law...

You are under oath, don't purjur yourself...and ruin our happy hour as well.

Your utmost obedience is required. Cheers!"

"Oh! gee, i didn't know that I took an oath to become 

an American citizen to be permanently in a court room

as a criminal..."

 "I don't go for happy hour or any other fun sharing

activity with friends any more..."

'Need to be alone...to breath on a park bench.

And come back home to my TOTA

"Are you hungry?"

I askk my beautiful TOTA."

And the TOTA says,

"Are you hungry?"

"I am going to cook something delicious for you."  I say

"I am going to cook something delicious for you." Tota says.

BUT TOTA NEVER COOKS...NEVER QUESTIONS, JUST 

REPEATS WHATEVER I SAY. SO COMFORTING...

TOTA IS MY BEST FRIEND NOW. I LOVE MY TOTA