San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly

Julia Stein
GRAPE JUICE YOU CAN’T FORGET
 
From exile the Baghdad poet sang
how under the shadow of
elegant metal balconies on Rashid Street
once they headed to Zbala’s for his juice
in Baghdad summer and winter.
 
Zbala and sons banged mugs of grape juice on trays
sang through a century to bring juice to
the protestors gathered against the British
in the ‘50s grabbed the grape juice at the bar
prime minister Nuri Said stopped at the juice bar
General Qassim came often to drink
even young Saddam Hussein guzzled the grape juice.
 
Three times yearly the Baghdad juicers trek north
to look at the vineyards in Ibril
now they use huge numbers of grapes
now the juice stops strokes, heals headaches,
abolishes anemia , dissolves heart disease,
pacifies the painful stomach
 
the thieves in exile remember after looting the banks
they headed to Zbala’s for the juice
Al Qaeda militants after cruising the street and dumping the dead body
headed to Zbala’s for the juice
American soldiers after their perilous patrols past half empty cafes
headed to Zbala’s for the juice
in Baghdad summer and winter
 
forty years after the war is over
the children of the refugees of the poets in exile
of the thieves of the Al Qaeda militants of the American soldiers
will return to Rashid Street in Baghdad
walk under the shadow of elegant balconies
to Zbala’s where his grandsons bang the juice mugs on trays and sing
and the children will all drink grape juice
together