The Saudi bride & her US Groom

by B. R. GOWANI

One of the Saudi princes “does not like to fly, so he ordered a special bus for his travel.” PHOTO/The Angry Arab News Service (Thanks to Robin Khundkar for the pictures.)

the Saudi bride
rejected a British mate
and selected the US groom
and got married in international waters

they could have married
in the Bride’s town
but perhaps Allah wouldn’t have approved
besides the Groom was busy
planning the empire-expansion

the marriage was one of convenience
the Groom didn’t fall for the Bride’s beauty
it was her wealth: plenty of gold …
the liquid gold touched the Groom’s heart

the bride would bring in a dowry of oil-wealth
not just one time – at the time of marriage,
but: continually – till the discontented people
do them part

the groom in turn promised to extend
the warmth and protection of arms and ammunition
and expensive luxuries, gadgets,
and technological wonders

the Bride is monogamous, almost
but the Groom is polygamous
yet the marriage has lasted
cause the Bride knows
a divorce would be her end
she would be ravaged beyond recognition

B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com