they are placing a large pot onto three broken bricks
a veiled women is lighting a fire under the pot with small twigs
the veiled woman is pouring oil from a canister into the pot
the veiled woman is placing a stick into the oil
the veiled woman keeps standing over the stick until the oil is frothing
they are forcing a man to his knees
eyes covered not hands bound not
they are tying the fingers of one of the man’s hands with a scarf
they are forcing the man’s arm through the noose of a loosely braided rope
they are kicking the man’s back
kicking
they are pulling the man backwards
pulling the rope
they are pulling the man forwards
pulling the scarf
yanking
they are un•wrapping a saber
long
from a sack on the ground
in the sun a glimmer
they are pulling forwards backwards
the man’s wrist over the chopping block
they are raising the saber chopping at the man’s arm
the hand is hanging by the bone
they are digging their heals in
pulling the man’s wrist back over the block
they are chopping again
sudden steps backwards with man with hand
they are letting the man fall backwards into the dust
blood is spraying
they are dangling the scarf with the hand over the oil
down up down up
they are un•tying the scarf
throwing the hand into the oil
the hand curls
closing
oil is frothing
they are wiping the saber with care
wrapping the saber in the sack
they are leaving the man in the dust
leave
the man is in the dust under the canopy roof
the man in the dust
—