Droppin Dimes

Welcome to Lahboul
Take in the sights
Of fools, ghouls, and tools
Without any rights

You can shield your eyes and ears
As you try desperately to blend
But your mere existence incites fear
Your futile urban camouflage amounts to a dead end

Creatures that look, talk, and walk the same
Pounce on the strange and exotic
And on those who do not play their game
Their world becoming jarringly chaotic

But don’t denigrate these mammals
For in the face of the unknown, failing to be cool
For we are all animals
In our own versions, of Lahboul

I walked by a beautiful park near every day when I studied abroad in Meknes, Morocco. Supposedly, there was a zoo somewhere tucked away in the sprawling gardens. I saw very few animals walking by that park. Definitely not enough to warrant a zoo. But that didn’t stop everyone from finding something to leer at. Many students at the center where I studied talked about how locals would stare at them when they walked around in groups. Women, Black students, Asian students, and gender non-conforming students experienced gawking more frequently and intensely just like they do in the states. Conversely, I remember students doing the same to local Moroccans during our study abroad particularly when we first arrived. Culture shock hits us all when we travel, especially those used to being a minority.