a sleepy call to prayer

i woke up early and walked outside in the dark. the muezzin had just started his call to prayer. The voice crackly over the megaphone from the mosque many blocks away sounded young, and freshly woken, like someone singing and stretching at the same time. Then it finished abruptly like he just said "fuck it" and dived back into the pillow. there was this beautiful absence of sound and a few very bright stars in the sky.

i stepped through the courtyard over to where i'd left my new shoes to age in last night's rain. i had to buy them at a little shack in the kabul market & i believe the guy charged me double or triple price, that is he charged me $12. I bought them for Kandahar because i'm told everyone wears the same shoes in Kandahar. They're known as 'silver shoes' and they're ugly, dark & uncomfortable. i love them. i think i'll take a shower in them now.