Ryan Keating is a writer, teacher, and winemaker on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. His work can be found in publications such as Saint Katherine Review, Ekstasis Magazine, Amethyst Review, Macrina Magazine, Fathom, Vocivia, Roi Fainéant, and Miras Dergi, where he is a regular contributor in English and Turkish.
CYPRUS BREAKFAST, NICOSIA
I wasn’t thinking any more
About how good that çılbır was
When the waitress cleared my plate
And it shattered on the floor,
Spattering specks of creamy yogurt
And perfectly seasoned harissa oil
Onto the legs of the bar stools
And her astonished ankles;
The porcelain shards scattering
Across the grid of tiles -kalimera-
Defying boundaries and checkpoints
While my americano cools
As if trading energy with the sunlight
Spreading over the avocado tree
By the entrance to the courtyard.
© Ryan Keating, 2022
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