written for Paulo Orlando in Lisbon, someone I never met in 2000.
---
"Portuguese Internet Boyfriend"
by KLRabstracts, before Chevalterre Nabil
7 February 2008
7 February 2008
-----
He was the only choice
from my detailed search:
from my detailed search:
..... Age 35,
.....Brunette,
.....Light complection,
.....Catholic.
-
Even my shipmate, Becker,
Thought I have good taste.
He was reading over my shoulder.
-
A Sailor girl
Touring Asia
Could only fantasize
On the possibility
Of hitting port
In Lisbon, Portugal
To meet the banker.
His cover-up job...
He disclosed,
His true occupation
Is to protest.
-
We'd write
Long-detailed e-mails
About our turn-ons
And music.
-
From what little he knew
About me, he determined
What song he'd dedicate to me...
-
Me,
The insipid, virgin-minded Sailor
I didn't dream of Port-lovers
Just the Portuguese Internet Boyfriend
-
As for the song,
He chose:
"Aja Que Houver"
by Madredeus
-
Though in Dili, East Timor
Kids' arms were getting
chopped off
In religious protest
-
This Portuguese banker/
Undercover protestor
Knew something...
Predicted one of my ports.
-
He'd asked for
My mailing address
To send the CD with my song.
I sent him
The one in El Paso...
-
Romantic I was
Naive I was not!
He'd insist on how
WE should do something
About our U.S. President
Clinton at the time was
certainly not on Bush's plan.
-
Portuguese Internet Boyfriend...
What were you up to?
-
He warned
That his internet
Was being disconnected,
And my ship's address
Was our last chance.
-
What a silly, passionate fool!
If the ship's Cap'n were royalty
He'd chop off your head.
-
.....What did he plan?
.....What did he scheme?
.....What was the protest,
.....That I did not dream?
-
He claimed
That fleet should
Do something
About Timor.
-
I drew a blank.
The excite.com singles feature
I did not worry about.
Just gettng mail
for Christmas...
-
Mom's care packages
of pecans
My nieces' drawings.
-
Three months later,
We were not hitting port;
We anchored out,
And prepared
For terrorists.
-
While those who were
Stronger and equipped to
Land by barge,
The rest of us became
Tour guides in relief
For Australian troops.
-
As we dined,
Celebrating
African-American Heritage:
I told the Aussies
About great foods:
Hush puppies,
Okra, and gravy.
-
Departing four days later, I
Checked for e-mail
Wondering what...
What did this
Portuguese Internet Boyfriend
Know about
The U.S., Australians, and East Timor?
-
The song says,
"Aja que houver,
espero por ti"
(Come what may, I wait for you."
-
I did not wait for this
And the new
Humanitarian Service Medal
was Awarded.
-
Still, Clinton's
peace time
ran short.
