Extranjero

Again burnt-out, head aching,
Flood of memory and regret
Like bad stew in my brain;
Stuck in an echoing food court
Below the earth in a paltry square,
Waiting before I have to work,
No refuge, extranjero,
Like a fish in a sea
Rife with unknown fauna,
Distended with change,
Communication like a clown’s pantomime,
Words confounded,
Smiling defensively –
Don’t exploit me because
I speak English and don’t know your streets –
Frustrated.