A Folder Named Love

 
When you were small  
they taught you to cover your face
You learned the hard way  
to lower your eyes
that laughter could be dangerous
and the desert  
invaded your heart
 
While the cedars waited  
for the first snows to arrive
you wondered  
why God had willed your life  
to be sold in a marketplace
seething with ugliness
to strangers who screamed and spat
haggling for your best price
 
Your movements will always be  
watched
but when the stars  
crackle and hum with light
while the men are snoring  
and foxes scream to the night
you steal moments of freedom online
patiently cradling your dreams
to save in a folder  
named love