The time in Egypt is like a dream,
Cairo appears at the edge of chaos
And yet serene steps of moonlight
Climb pyramids like Egyptian princes.

Sunset on the Nile is like the dreaming eye
Of a crocodile sinking into the deep,
And desert winds at Abu Simbel
Obliterate the landscape over and over.

Buried under all the sands of the Sahara
My dreams merged with the dreams
Of those who travelled through sleep
To wake in the land of the Pharaohs.

Traffic jam in the desert
Pyramid weddings
Satellite-dished Sahara
Empty apartment caves
Wi-Fi hieroglyphics
The adhan’s resonant heaven
Crescent moon felucca
The Nile’s green fringes
And reed boat missives
Atmosphere of essential oils
Palm tree hoopoes
And jingling sugarcanes
Sleep travels miles
Footprints through tombs
Sphinx bearing the likeness of time
Spice market hibiscus
And rababa of rabble
Man-made lake of wind
Dromedary vistas
Temples rising out of water
Lions emerging from stone
Stone-cutters turning to dust
Dream of a crocodile
Swallowed by sand
Camel cavalries on the march
The sun god’s sandstorm face