The Qanoun’s a Hemar
by Nigel Holt
‘Dubai's diversity means that visitors can enjoy
a whole range of different experiences. From the
beautiful undulating desert sands to the bustling
downtown areas—the vast unspoiled beaches
and the mountains to the east—Dubai is a city
of adventure, contrast, discovery and surprise.’
The Dubai Guide
Holding hands is fine:
don’t go further though;
don’t lick the special sauce
from the dripping chicken Big Mac,
or chat up the staff, of course.
Don’t let the locals know
if it’s your place, or it’s mine:
be an amnesiac.
Don’t kiss me in the malls
—there may be hookers looking,
and CID men lurk
in the coffee cups of Costa’s.
Share a hot cell with a Turk
—the system’s not for bucking
and the threat of policemen’s balls
is paid off with a Foster’s.
Maintained or neglected, familiar or foreign, well-worn or wild, roadways inform our decisions and identities. Their geographies direct the movement
of our lives and sketch the cartography of our stories. In this spirit, 322 Review publishes provocative emerging and established artists whose fiction,
creative nonfiction, poetry, and mixed media artwork wander the paths of human experience. A nonprofit literary journal conceived
and operated by former Rowan University graduate students, 322 Review is based in Southern New Jersey.
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