BH.net: resident authors with tales from Asia, Africa, Middle East & Europe

Some of our contributors leave a short but pungent trail of words on our website. Others continually submit new work, and so, in a sense, are our resident authors.

Farrah Sarafa has graced us with several of her poems. The latest:

Bavaria, Germany
1. Goddess in the Bavarian Garden:

Her smiles are sweet like Bavarian roses
with ice cream residues on her full, upper lip.
She gives the gifts of kisses
that like Kites travel miles
for home

Read "Goddess in the Bavarian Garden" >>


Rome, Italy
2. Rome:

Hiding behind blocks of real
history,
Alexander the Great's hand-print
and glory face me.

Read "Rome" >>


Middle East; United States
3. Memory Never Dies:

Bushels of green rose stems
and leaves
mix with empty cans and scraps of plastic
from yesterday's meals

I try to massage deep
oil into his dry skin, flaking off like ash
does a long cigarette.

Read Memory Never Dies >>


New contributor Mordechai Zoltan's offerings include three new pieces of writing from his trips to Africa and Asia:

Morocco
1. Tree Goats:

On the bus from Tetuan to Chechauen, a small village at the base of the Rif Mountains, you can look out your window and see Tree Goats. Tree Goats, quite simply, are goats in trees. I am not certain if the goats attract the trees or if the trees attract the goats, but nevertheless outside of your window you will see goats climbing in trees.

Read "Tree Goats" >>


Thailand
2. Smoking with the Chief:

Like a warm hug sending shivers down my spine, the sickly sweet smoke meandered through my lungs, exploding into millions of tiny smiley faces raging through my bloodstream. Lying on my side, on top of a grass mat covering the dirt floor of the Chief's hut, I saw the flame from the kerosene torch reflected in his eyes. Rolling onto my back, my lungs released a long, thick stream of opium smoke, billowing slowly out the ramshackle thatched ceiling like the clouds before a slow-moving cold front.

Read "Smoking with the Chief" >>


Frankfurt, Germany; Goa & Mumbai, India; Naudanda, Nepal; New York & Ohio, United States
3. Magic Shoes from Nepal:

Om knew that I was beginning my trip home and he also knew of my fondness for one of the local delicacies-hashish. In fact I was under its influence at the moment Om walked into my room. "Magic Shoes! Magic Shoes! Please let me make you some magic shoes so you may enjoy a bit of Naudanda when you return to your country." And there it was. Om explained to me in great detail how he had many times in the past secured an ounce or so of hashish under the insole of one or another of his esteemed guests here at his cinder block Taj Mahal and off they went on their merry way.

Read Magic Shoes from Nepal >>