Miss Damascus

I met her in a Dubai disco
Introduced by the emirs cousin
If not for that, I wouldnt approach her
I didnt want to seem aggressive

We talked about the world situation
The plight of Palestinians, the meaning of terrorism, the merits of a two state solution

But we couldnt talk about love
No, we couldnt talk about love

So we talked about history
About the Sykes-Picot agreement, the split between the Shia and Sunni, the origins of Baathism

We couldnt talk about our deepest feelings
We couldnt broach our mutual attraction
She would meet my eye fleetingly
And then look away—so far away

And so we danced
Most respectfully
Most honorably
We werent touching
Her cousin watching
Always watching…

So we danced
I tried not to stare
I did not look at her ass
Most respectfully
Most honorably

But we couldnt talk about love
No we couldnt talk about love
I would devote my life to world peace
If I could only touch her