night runs through jerusalem

another life in darkness 

scuttling with movement

as I whoosh

whoosh

whoosh

a foreign substance

infiltrating paradigm.

eyes lock and

load with burning--

lingering--

stares

"what is this thing?"

they fire my way

but german chords cushion my ears

and protect me from stray chastise bullets. 

I feign decency. 

they crawl

they crawl

I whoosh

I whoosh

we teem

we teem

they fire

I dodge.

every which way, I explore their streets--

a rhythm disruption

a ghastly sight.

deeper and deeper--

a tension shift, it bubbles and

threatens to boil...

WHAM

the babushka screams

lips dancing, grenades aflight,

licking curses at my life

I baulk, feign decency,

dodge past

barely scathed. 

I dare a fervent glance back 

and capture the moment of fire. 

whoosh

whoosh

whoosh

explosions behind me 

eyes widen, and accept reality.

"foreign" carries new weight.

I am a poison object here.