A Concise Anatomy of the Esotericism between

a Surajmukhi¹ and Madhumakkhi²

for Nashwa Y. Butt and Umme A. Ali

after The Sunflower by Gustav Klimt (Austria), 1906–1907 CE

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change.

– Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

   I.

“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”—

such utilitarian dictums can hardly ever qualify

as the koh-e-noor³ (in a queen’s crown) to embellish

the Throne of Esotericism – the omniscient guardian

of the coalescence b/w a surajmukhi and madhumakkhi,

as the subatomic electric charges labour to preserve an atom.

N.B.

The exordium and epitome of the aforesaid hum-nafasi⁴

manifests naturally on the grounds of Bauhausian Minimalism:⁵

each simply gives ‘n takes ≯ one’s ^original/_organic ^desires/_dreams!

   II.

AND the Fruits of Philanthropic Labour:

the ↑ the volume of donation of the floral nectar,

     the ↑ the rate of generation of the extrafloral nectaries;

the honey from the bee’s belly relishes the reputation

     as the universal remedy for all manner of ailments;

the mysterious constituents of God’s formulae

     for the propagation of ^macro/_microcosms are laid bare.

© Saad Ali

______________

^1. Surajmukhi (Sanskrit): Sunflower.

^2. Madhumakkhi (Sanskrit): Honeybee.

^3. Koh-e-Noor (Persian): Mountain of Light.
^4. Hum-nafasi (Persian): Breath-sharing companionship.

^5. Bauhaus (1919–1933 CE): The European Modernist Movement/German Art school – with an emphasis upon:

a) combining crafts and fine arts, b) functionality, and c) minimalism (in architectural design).

Le Souvenir: Clay Spinning Top

for Maimoona & Anwaar

after The Spinning Top Game (Le jeu De Toupies) by Nasreddine Dinet (France), 1924 CE

   The famous Mall Road connects the Cantonment area to almost all the major towns and boulevards of the Metropolitan. (The City still has a long, long journey to complete to be truly known as a ‘Cosmopolitan’.) Thanks for the very dual carriageway – with a lush mixed cluster of Pepal, Amaltas, Mahwa, Ticoma, Gul-e-mohar, and Kachnar trees for a green belt (wide dividing strip) – for, it will also take you to the Old City in < 45 odd minutes – provided you don’t travel during the rush hours; provided the weather, power supply, traffic lights, and traffic wardens behave themselves.

   On the way to the Old City, you find an assortment of classic and (post-)modern iconic buildings – from The British Raj Era, too – on either side of the 8–10 km long stretch: Governor’s House, Alhamra Arts Council, Aitchison College, National College of Arts, Museum, Cathedral Church of Resurrection, Masonic Temple, Bagh-e-Jinnah, et cetera. … The Bagh-e-Jinnah (formerly: Lawrence Gardens) is also a home to a 150-year-old tree – Banyan (a hybrid of Banyan branches + Karnikar branches (Kanaka Champa)). … And, if you happen to be an aficionado of history/architecture/arts, you can easily become overwhelmed by the (colour) schemata of the (post-)colonial portrait that the very route happens to be; you can easily find yourself teleported to the late 19^th–early 20^th century CE—when the iconic (London’s) red double-decker buses were also in service in conjunction with the tonga service. Back in the 1930s–40s, the City of Lavapuri/City of Gardens¹ offered an exemplar landscape of (the British/European) modernity.

   *

   This past Summer of ’23 CE, I had had to make the journey – via the very boulevard – to my grand/parents’ ancestral town called Islampura (formerly: Krishan/Sant Nagar) to re-procure a clay spinning top from an old seller of old clay toys. Reason being: the helper had managed to break one from the pair that sat atop my workstation in the study at my place, while she also left the assortment of my journals, fountain pens, ink pots, poem scribbles, pen pouches/holders, lead/mechanical pencils, pair of mechanical keyboards, marble paperweights, cigarette/case + lighters, metal/wood ashtrays, ceramic incense burner, A3/A5 sticky notes, and books hither and thither.

   The clay toy can be easily classified as a souvenir in today’s IT/AI Age. I doubt, if the contemporary generations – Generation Z & Generation Alpha – are even aware of its existence, let alone being aware of where to acquire one. … The clay toy is even far, far older than the times when my grand/parents used to play with it in the streets – laid with bricks made of clay.

   *

   I’m yet to learn to properly operate it – wrap the thin string around its top, middle, bottom; then, with a flick of the wrist unleash the spinning top so as to induce a hundred or so anti/clockwise rotations to it per release.

   Every now ‘n then, I manually make the souvenir whirl on the palm of my left hand – wrong-hand – with a musical adaptation (remix) of رقص ذرات / “Poem of the Atoms” by Jalal al-Din Balkhi (Rumi) playing in the background via YouTube:

O’ Day, rise! So that the particles begin their dance

…

The souls become mystified and joyfully dance

I whisper in your ear where they will dance

..

Every particle, whether joyful or sad,

is infatuated with the light of the Beloved!²

© Saad Ali

______________

¹ Lavapuri (Sanskrit): According to the Hindu tradition/mythology, the City of Prince Lava/Loh – son of God Rama and Goddess Sita (see the Hindu epic poem Ramayana by Valmiki (Adi Kavi/First Poet). Modern day Lahore – the capital city of the Punjab province in Pakistan.

² English translation by Reza Fattahi.

by the force of space + time

for N. Karfakis, L. Jacobs, E. Rahim & Nashwa Y. Butt

after Metaphysical Triangle by Giorgio de Chirico (Italy), 1958 CE

   i

the dandelion seed-light tips of S’s fingers don’t seem

to be familiar with the hypotheses of a beam of light

as the vessel of hypotheses and/or the theoretical theatrics

of e=mc^2[1] and/or the Einsteinian relativity of space + time^[2]

and/or the laws of motion of Newtonian gravity^[3] and/or

the Galilean invariance^[4] and/or Copernican heliocentrism.^[5]

   ii

the wine cork-light fingers simply cannot match the momentum

of the ripples of the keys on his black + blue + red themed

Keychron K2 Pro Chinese mechanical keyboard.

the buraq-like^[6] keys seem too euphoric to perform an ascension

into the superverse of ars poetica. but like the Icarus’ wax-wings,

S’s sunflower petal-light fingers don’t seem to possess

neither the empathy nor the valiance of one Prometheus’

to meet the singularity and be rendered ashes.

   iii

i know a (prose) poem is seeking a refuge

in the cave of these apophthegms ‘n paronomasias.

i know by the time the rails of verses emerge

from the slumber – of a sleeping gypsy’s;

utterly unaware of the sniffing hungry lioness –

maybe in 300 years or so – like the Seven Sleepers

of the cave – they will only be meeting the light of day

to learn of the obsoleteness of their currency.

   *

and i am rather afraid, too afraid to install an anchor of period

anywhere on the floor of the galley. the vessel is best left

trembling in the wake of the seismic gravity of letters.

© Saad Ali

______________

^[1] e=mc²: Theory of Special Relativity by A. Einstein (1905 CE) – with an emphasis upon: a) ‘inertial frames’ (speed of light is constant), and b) merger of space and time; where, time = 4^th dimension.

^[2] The Theory of General Relativity by A. Einstein (1917 CE): ‘Gravity’ is a result of the shape of space-time/geometry of the universe.

^[3] The Three Laws of Motion by Sir I. Newton (1687 CE): Principle of Inertia, Principle of Momentum, and Principle of Action/Reaction.

^[4] The Theory of Special Relativity proposed by G. Galilei (1632 CE): the laws of motion remain the same in all ‘inertial frames of references’ (objects moving at a constant speed).

^[5] The Sun-centric Astronomical Model proposed by N. Copernicus (1543 CE) – opposed to the 2^nd century CE Geocentric Model (Earth at the centre) by C. Ptolemaeus.

^[6] Buraq (Islamic tradition): Chimera (with a body of horse, head of human, and wings).

Biography

(Wordcount: 153)

Saad Ali (b. 1980 CE in Okara, Pakistan) has been brought up and educated in the United Kingdom and Pakistan. He is a bilingual poet-philosopher and literary translator. His new collection of poems is titled Owl Of Pines: Sunyata (AuthorHouse, 2021). He has translated Lorette C. Luzajic’s ekphrastic poetry and micro/flash fictions into Urdu: Lorette C. Luzajic: Selected Ekphrases: Translated into Urdu (2023). He is a regular contributor to The Ekphrastic Review. He has had poems published in Synchronized Chaos. His work has been nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology. He has had ekphrases showcased at an Art Exhibition, Bleeding Borders, curated at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada. Some of his influences include: Vyasa, Homer, Ovid, Attar, Rumi, Nietzsche, Freud, Jung, Kafka, and Tagore. He enjoys learning different languages, travelling by train, and exploring cities/towns on foot. To learn further about his work, please visit: www.saadalipoetry.com; www.facebook.com/owlofpines.

Wake Up World

Gone is the spring 
where hope does mold
Gone is the summer 
with passion bold
Gone is the autumn 
of affections are told
Now is winter 
so selfish and love cold
Shiver and freeze 
with indifference, world
To darkness 
our souls have been sold
Where fire burns
greed and hatred wars foretold.


Goals

Each traveler has own goal
To be a diamond, remain as coal
Or be in between, a crystal soul
Judge not for each one as a role
My goal is not yours, yours is not mine
Accept each other's role, all will be fine
I can drink coffee, enjoy your wine
Deaf to threats and endless whine
Choose your path, I have found my nest
Don't begrudge me of well deserved rest
Life is short, I have chosen my test
I journeyed East, you now travel West
We may for a time have to separate 
Do not be sad, do not feel desperate 
Love is not measured by one opened gate
Spirits remain as one, whatever be Fate


Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa was born January 14, 1965, in Manila Philippines. She has worked as a retired Language Instructor, interpreter, caregiver, secretary, product promotion employee, and private therapeutic masseur. Her works have been published as poems and short story anthologies in several language translations for e-magazines, monthly magazines, and books; poems for cause anthologies in a Zimbabwean newspaper; a feature article in a Philippine newspaper; and had her works posted on different poetry web and blog sites. She has been writing poems since childhood but started on Facebook only in 2014. For her, Poetry is life and life is poetry. 

Lilian Kunimasa considers herself a student/teacher with the duty to learn, inspire, guide, and motivate others to contribute to changing what is seen as normal into a better world than when she steps into it. She has always considered life as an endless journey, searching for new goals, and challenges and how she can in small ways make a difference in every path she takes. She sees humanity as one family where each one must support the other and considers poets as a voice for Truth in pursuit of Equality and proper Stewardship of nature despite the hindrances of distorted information and traditions.

La Boheme   class signifiers at intermission




she sucks the juice of grapefruit over the kitchen sink




dozing off in tassel rue
the emptiness
of sin




scent of crushed sage through the loophole in the cinder block wall




the evaporating puddle I'm in




by now he's entering the diamond-mansion heart of Saint Teresa




the liquid mercury nail heads on the gray planks at sunset




the fallen arches of the Donegal mussel catcher




sheltering in place on a hairpin of jade




oatmeal cookies for the unsung genius in plumbing supply




the skinflint's only Latin phrase





six realms and I'm dragging my ass in this one




imprisoned by his attention to the insignificant




in physics, he would entertain no more questions about hula dancers in outer space




why do I have to hear about how miserable you would've been




the accuracy of the mad

Cross cultural communication 
       
Annotation: This article illustrates a several number of opinions about the cross-cultural communication , in different parts of world
Key words: Cross-culture, communication,  endeavor, investigating,  geographies, intercultural 

      Cross-cultural communication is a field of study investigating how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Intercultural communication is a related field of study. Often referred to as intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication is the study of how verbal and nonverbal communication takes place among individuals from different backgrounds, geographies, and cultures.

      As you can see, the definition is very straightforward, but learning how to implement cross-cultural communication into your career is not as black and white. Communication is also the core of publishing statements to broad audiences, monitoring all communication coming from clients, and preparing stakeholders for the worst are all duties of a PR professional.

With the globalization of businesses, PR professionals, in particular, must learn about cross-cultural communication and its impact on the PR industry so they don't make the mistake of misrepresenting a culture.

It is important to note before diving into the details of cross-cultural communication that there are cultural generalizations that do not account for specific individuals in a culture. For example, different countries around the world interpret hand gestures in different ways.  
Since cross-cultural communication is how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other, there are bound to be clashes between different cultures. One tactic to reduce these clashes is prioritizing diversity when hiring. When people from differing cultures work toward a common goal, the risk of offensive misunderstandings decreases, and the quality of work increases.

          Communication is the exchange of meaning: it is my attempt to let you know what I mean. Communication includes any behavior that another human being perceives and interprets: it is your understanding of what I mean. Communication includes sending both verbal messages (words) and nonverbal messages (tone of voice, facial expression, behavior, and physical setting). It includes consciously sent messages as well as messages that the sender is totally unaware of sending. Whatever I say and do, I cannot help communicating. Communication therefore involves a complex, multilayered, dynamic process through which we exchange meaning. 

Every communication has a message sender and a message receiver. The sent message is never identical to the received message. Why? Communication is indirect; it is a symbolic behavior. Ideas, feelings, and pieces of information cannot be communicated directly but must be externalized or symbolized before being communicated. Encoding describes the producing of a symbol message. Decoding describes the receiving of a message from a symbol. The message sender must encode his or her meaning into a form that the receiver will recognize-that is, into words and behavior. Receivers must then decode the words and behavior - the symbols - back into messages that have meaning for them. 

For example because the Cantonese word for “eight” sounds like jaat, which means prosperity, a Hong Kong textile manufacturer Mr. Lau Ting-pong paid $5 million in 1988 for car registration number 8. A year later a European millionaire paid $4.8 million at Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year auction for vehicle registration number 7, a decision that mystified the Chinese, since the number 7 has little significance in the Chinese calculation of fortune. Translating meanings into words and behaviors - that is into symbols - and back again into meanings is based on a person's cultural background and is not the same for each person. The greater the difference in background between senders and receivers, the greater the difference in meanings attached to particular words and behaviors. 

Cross-cultural communication occurs when a person from one culture sends message to a person from another culture. Cross-cultural miscommunication occurs when the person from the second culture does not receive the sender's intended message. The greater the differences between the sender's and the receiver's cultures, the greater the chance for cross-cultural miscommunication. 

Communication does not necessarily result in understanding. Cross-cultural communication continually involves misunderstanding caused by misperception, misinterpretation, and misevaluation. When the sender of a message comes from one culture and the receiver from another, the chances of accurately transmitting a message are low. Foreigners see, interpret, and evaluate things differently, and consequently act upon them differently. In approaching cross-cultural situations, one should therefore assume difference until similarity is proven. It is also important to recognize that all behavior makes sense through the eyes of the person behaving and that logic and rationale are culturally relative. In cross-cultural situations, labeling behavior as bizarre usually reflects culturally based misperception, misinterpretation, and misevaluation; rarely does it reflect intentional malice or pathologically motivated behavior. Unwritten rules reflect a culture's interpretation of its surroundings.

          CROSS-CULTURAL MISPERCEPTION No two national groups see the world in exactly the same way. Perception is the process by which each individual selects, organizes, and evaluates stimuli from the external environment to provide meaningful experiences for himself or herself. Perceptual patterns are neither innate nor absolute. They are selective, learned, culturally determined, consistent, and inaccurate. • Perception is selective. At any one time there are too many stimuli in the environment for us to observe. Therefore, we screen out most of what we see, hear, taste, and feel. We screen out the overload and allow only selected information through our perceptual screen to our conscious mind. • Perceptual patterns are learned. We are not born seeing the world in one particular way. Our experience teaches us to perceive the world in certain ways. • Perception is culturally determined. We learn to see the world in a certain way based on our cultural background. • Perception tends to remain constant. Once we see something in a particular way, we continue to see it that way. • We therefore see things that do not exist, and do not see things that do exist. 

Our interests, values, and culture act as filters and lead us to distort, block, and even create what we choose to see and hear. We perceive what we expect to perceive. We perceive things according to what we have been trained to see, according to our cultural map. The distorting impact of perceptual filters causes us to see things that do not exist.

     Interpretation occurs when an individual gives meaning to observations and their relationships; it is the process of making sense out of perceptions. Interpretation organizes our experience to guide our behavior. Based on our experience, we make assumptions about our perceptions so we will not have to rediscover meanings each time we encounter similar situations. For example, we make assumptions about how doors work, based on our experience of entering and leaving rooms; thus we do not have to relearn each time we have to open a door. Similarly, when we smell smoke, we generally assume there is a fire. Our consistent patterns of interpretation help us to act appropriately and quickly within our day-to-day world. Categories Since we are constantly bombarded with more stimuli than we can absorb and more perceptions than we can keep distinct, we only perceive those images that may be meaningful. We group perceived images into familiar categories that help to simplify our environment, become the basis for our interpretations, and allow us to function in an otherwise overly complex world. 

Categories of perceived images become ineffective when we place people and things in the wrong group. Cross-cultural miscategorization occurs when I use my home country categories to make sense out of foreign situations. Stereotypes Stereotyping involves a form of categorization that organizes our experience and guides our behavior toward ethnic and national groups. Stereotypes never describe individual behavior; rather, they describe the behavioral norm for members of a particular group. Stereotypes, like other forms of categories, can be helpful or harmful depending on how we use them. Effective stereotyping allows people to understand and act appropriately in new situations. A stereotype can be helpful when it is • Consciously held. The person should be aware that he or she is describing a group norm rather than the characteristics of a specific individual. • Descriptive rather than evaluative. The stereotype should describe what people from this group will probably be like and not evaluate those people as good or bad. • Accurate. The stereotype should accurately describe the norm for the group to which the person belongs. • The first best guess about a group prior to having direct information about the specific person or persons involved.

     Modified, based on further observation and experience with the actual people and situations. A subconsciously held stereotype is difficult to modify or discard even after we collect real information about a person, because it is often thought to reflect reality. If a subconscious stereotype also inaccurately evaluates a person or situation, we are likely to maintain an inappropriate, ineffective, and frequently harmful guide to reality. Managers ranked "most internationally effective" by their colleagues altered their stereotypes to fit the actual people involved, whereas managers ranked "least internationally effective" continued to maintain their stereotypes even in the face of contradictory information. To be effective, international managers must therefore be aware of cultural stereotypes and learn to set them aside when faced with contradictory evidence. They cannot pretend not to stereotype. If stereotyping is so useful as an initial guide to reality, why do people criticize it? The answer is that we have failed to accept stereotyping as a natural process and have consequently failed to learn to use it to our advantage. 

For years we have viewed stereotyping as a form of primitive thinking, as an unnecessary simplification of reality. We have also viewed stereotyping as immoral: stereotypes can be inappropriate judgments of individuals based on inaccurate descriptions of groups. It is true that labeling people from a certain ethnic group as "bad" is immoral, but grouping individuals into categories is neither good nor bad-it simply reduces a complex reality to manageable dimensions. Negative views of stereotyping simply cloud our ability to understand people's actual behavior and impair our awareness of our own stereotypes.          

   Bibliography:

   ADLER J. N. (1991) International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour. 2nd ed. PWS-KENT Publishing Company.
  Beamer L., & I.Varner (2001) Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace. 2nd ed. N.Y.: McGraw-Hill.
    Condon, J.C. & Yousef. F.S. (1975). Introduction to intercultural communication. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company. 
  Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (1992). Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication (2nd ed.). 
  New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Hall, E.T. (1959). The silent language. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. Lewis, R.( 1997) When Cultures Collide, Doubleday.
      

My future

White and spotless as the clouds,
I have my dreams.
Fortune is always with me,
All my dreams will surely come true.

The passion deep inside me,
Never will fade away.
The faith of my country's leader,
Will always be a beacon in my way.

Bahara Shodmonkulova daughter of Ilhom, was born on June 23, 2010 in Gallaorol district of Jizzakhj region. Currently, she is a 7th grade student of the 42nd school.

Namangan State Pedagogical Institute: Nurturing Educators for Tomorrow

Namangan State Pedagogical Institute (NamSPI) holds a crucial role in Uzbekistan’s educational sphere, especially in the Namangan region. Established with the goal of shaping the next generation of educators, NamSPI reflects Uzbekistan’s dedication to promoting high-quality pedagogical education.

Founded to cultivate proficient and devoted teachers, NamSPI has been pivotal in the growth of Namangan’s educational sector. Renowned for its diverse array of programs centered on teacher training and pedagogical studies, NamSPI aims not just to convey knowledge but also to instill a sense of dedication and enthusiasm for education in its students.

The institute’s commitment to excellence is evident in its faculty, composed of experienced educators and professionals committed to nurturing their students’ talents. The focus on practical teaching methods equips graduates with the skills necessary for success in real-world educational settings. NamSPI’s emphasis on research and innovation further solidifies its position as an academic hub.

NamSPI’s impact extends beyond classrooms, actively contributing to community development. By producing qualified educators, the institute directly enhances Namangan’s overall educational infrastructure. NamSPI graduates are not only prepared to teach but also to inspire and guide the next generation, shaping the region’s future.

The institute’s commitment to creating an optimal learning environment is reflected in its modern facilities. State-of-the-art classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, and an extensive library foster an atmosphere conducive to intellectual growth. Additionally, NamSPI engages in extracurricular activities, offering students opportunities to develop leadership skills and a well-rounded personality.

NamSPI’s relevance in the contemporary educational landscape is highlighted by its adaptability to evolving pedagogical trends and global standards. Embracing technology ensures that graduates are proficient in modern teaching methodologies, ready to face the challenges of a dynamic educational landscape.

In conclusion, Namangan State Pedagogical Institute stands as a symbol of educational excellence in Uzbekistan. Through its dedication to nurturing educators, promoting research, and contributing to community development, NamSPI plays a crucial role in shaping Namangan’s educational future, remaining a symbol of progress and a commitment to quality education in the region.

Sarvinoz Mamadaliyeva, born on September 5, 2004, in the Tashlak district of Fergana region, is a dynamic and ambitious 19-year-old. Demonstrating her commitment to education, she is currently a 2nd year student in the Foreign Language and Literature Department at Namangan State Pedagogical Institute.

Sarvinoz’s journey is marked by passion for language and literature, reflecting her dedication to personal and academic growth. As she continues her studies, she embodies the spirit of promising individual poised to contribute meaningfully to her community and beyond.

History Guide

Sometimes history becomes a burden,

a block, a block in the road we can bump

over or go around. It never gets out of

the way on its own, especially here in

Europe where tour guides feel compelled

to place the churches and buildings we pass,

place them in the context of time. Sometimes

they can stretch it, shape it to fit the moment

and group riding along on their every word.

There were fires and bombings, assassinations

and dynasties that disappeared. There were

religious wars that are hard to explain, explain

how whole cathedrals changed, switched sides

a few centuries back. But the old stuff seems

tame compared to things tourists might recall:

WWI and WWII and who was neutral and who

fell victim, and there’s the Berlin wall and all

the things connected to it, countries freed and

never wanting to return to the walls of various

sorts. It’s their history, so their take on it varies

place to place, personality to personality, with

the guilty being charged or found not guilty.

Most tourists belong to the half listen and nod

off club. Most of what the guide struggles with is

lost on them – lost in this strange place and time.

                   Climate Change

This is not the climate we were born into,

It’s the climate we brought on ourselves.

They even warned us, but we continued

Until we arrived here, surprised for some

Reason. As if all this wasn’t predicted. Just

Watch tremendous downpours and floods.

Then feel the heat rising and harvest these

Empty fields. Swim out in water as warm as

Bathtub water, even hotter. Watch weather

Programs trying to explain what’s happening

As if we can take it in stride – microbursts to

Macro, cyclones to hurricanes, fronts and

Storms of every sort. We get more of them

To name, as if they were our children acting

Out, beyond our control. We love “climate

Change” and “global warming.” We’ve come

To love getting our words to fit what’s going

On around us – like Adam and Eve naming all

The animals they came across. Our version of

This naming may be about the end and not

Some beginning that will play out as we watch.

                                                    In Line

We’re in line

This time

To check

Our legitimacy –

Passport Immigration Inspection.

In line

This time

We know how it goes

Step up

Get a nod

Or sent off to the side.

It’s like a moment

From a movie

About Hitler and Nazis.

Imagine the fright

The worry

As if we were

Jews and gypsies

Hoping to pass

To get the nod

And not the other.

Yes, we’re in line

This time

But history has saved us

At least for now.