From the seat of my taxi cab in which I ride to work
Endless observing is to be had and for me this is a perk
Clearly the moods change on the street with each passing season
Summer brings a heavy mood and for this there is good reason
Egypt’s draining summer heat when in dynamic full force
Offers confronting challenge that could halt ones daily course
Yet I see thousands of people on the streets each day
Beginning their regular routines in their usual way
Heading to daily duties one by one or in groups they roam
I know these people have minimal comforts if any, in their home
Nothing to give them respite or even a brief moment of relief
From the summer temperatures that continue to ever increase
I can plainly see the anguish of discomfort in each face
Yet this barely dulls their spirit or slows their usual pace
I think of their anguish as I observe them from my taxi cab
Rarely can they be heard complaining or stating that life is bad.
Egyptians simply accept each day and each situation as it comes
Acceptance; the lesson offered to their daughters and their sons
Egypt’s intense, scorching, fiery morning summer sun
Consistently tests stamina as daily practices are begun
Energy levels are heavily depleted before usual routine work starts
Egyptians, I resolve function from power furnaced within their hearts
Every day in countless challenging testing ways
Egyptians are tested by the offerings life displays
Many are poor and some homeless; living life on the street
But their instinct for survival these obstacles rarely defeat
There is a veiled spirit deep within the true Egyptian heart
A spirit from which heat and challenge cannot tear them apart!
The Egyptian spirit that I repeatedly see on the street
Offers the lesson of acceptance absolute and complete
My taxi ride is over two hours each day
And I wouldn’t have it any other way
My cab is old and quite outdated
But when I’m in it my spirit’s elated
My taxi driver Yasser, now has become my friend
How he masters Cairo traffic is hard to comprehend
Cairo’s chaotic traffic mirrors the mood of the masses
Frequently there are rages and instantaneous clashes!
Heated tempers often flare in the heat of the summer sun
But in a few minutes it’s back to drinking tea and having fun!
From the seat of my taxi cab I learn so much each day
Through the countless lessons of life clearly on display
The Egyptian street spirit is ever challenged, taxed and tested
And from the nouveau riche is often ignored, jostled or pestered
Oh how I love observing this undefeatable spirit I see repeatedly on the street
And how truly grateful I am to these teachers who help show me life complete
They’ve taught me to look into life – not merely scan the surface
They’ve taught me that each of us is a spirit with a God given purpose!
