MUT'AH MARRIAGE*

(A Romantic Lament)

a few minutes (like stolen bliss)
so your cheeks might caress my body...
your long flowing hair muting your
sighs as my hand praises your every
curve and valley...
What is this shy feast of bodies?
This circle of brief eternity
where your kindness seems only
knowledge of some profound sorrow?

*Mut'ah is a temporary marriage lasting a few hours or several weeks for the express purpose of sexual intercourse and terminated by mutual consent of both parties. It is practiced by Shiite Muslims, but is forbidden by Sunni Muslims. It is most prevalent in Iran.