Poem by R.M. Dolin
Al Azar
The very next breath
is how we accept
the wager between
destiny and fate.
In a world fueled by evil,
do we dare differentiate
those acting on instinct
from the ones who dance
along decisions teasing at
the edge of danger,
willing to risk more
than they can reasonably
afford to lose.
From chapter 3 of the R.M. Dolin novel, “What Is to Be Done.” The Al Azar is a cantina that’s been in Armando’s family for generations. It’s tucked away in a secluded part of the Espanola valley near Pojoaque Pueblo. It’s where members of the subversive Americans for a New America (ANA) meet to plan their government coup under the pretense of playing poker. It’s Cinco de Mayo, but the boys of the ANA are ignoring the governor’s lockdown orders. Jake is convinced something bad is about to happen.
Note: Al Azar is Arabic for chance, as in game of chance not chance encounter.
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