Interpretations
A poet sits in a coffee shop, writing:
the old lady
thinks he is writing a letter to his mother,
the young woman
thinks he is writing a letter to his girlfriend,
the child
thinks he is drawing,
the businessman
thinks he is considering a deal,
the tourist
thinks he is writing a postcard,
the employee
thinks he is calculating his debts,
the secret policeman
walks slowly, towards him
(Translated by Mourid Barghouti and Radwa Ashour)
Mourid Barghouti, a Palestinian Poet
http://www.mouridbarghouti.net/blog/2012/02/11/interpretations/