"Ode to the Strays of the Medina" by Laila Bosta

Amidst the winding alleys of the souk's delight,

A feline wanderer prowls through the night,

A Moroccan stray, with eyes so wise,

In the maze of the market, she roams and tries.

Her coat a tapestry of shadows and light,

Tales of resilience woven in each stripe,

Graceful she moves, a silent ballet,

As whispers of history follow her way.

Beneath the arches, she weaves her path,

Her footsteps dance with a gentle laugh,

Through stalls of spices and fabrics rare,

She navigates with an air of flair.

In the moonlit corners, she seeks her feast,

An alley cat's banquet, a hidden beast,

Yet her eyes betray, a longing to roam,

Beyond the souk's walls, to a place she calls home.

Amidst the bustling crowd and haggling throng,

She finds solace in the night's sweet song,

Her heart a nomad, forever unbound,

In the souk's embrace, a treasure she's found.

She's witnessed tales of joy and woe,

Of fortunes made and hearts bestowed,

A silent witness to life's grand play,

In the ancient souk where she finds her way.

And as dawn approaches, the souk awakes,

The stray cat retreats, her presence forsakes,

But in the twilight's embrace, she'll return,

A Moroccan wanderer, forever to yearn.

For the streets of the souk hold secrets untold,

In the heart of the feline, a story unfolds,

A soulful nomad, a creature of grace,

Forever roaming the enchanting place.

Laila Bosta is a student at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and is studying abroad on the Amideast Intensive Arabic Program in Morocco this Summer, 2023.