Dubai in August

Cold smells like a butcher’s,

and like aisles in the supermarket – frozen beans, refrigerated dairy.

Like that chocolate cafe that closes its blinds after noon

So 70% Tanzanian chocolate can cool in its mold.

Cold does not stop time,

it keeps it longer.

Hot is not a chlorine jacuzzi or a salty beach

It does not have to burn or make you sweat;

Like the asphalt road that thaws cold feet,

Like entering a car after it sits in the heat.

No matter how old it is,

New car smell leaks mild under the sun.

It makes you feel.