The trick is to yield —
Never be too firm, too committed to your plan
It's a game of give and take
Where you never have the upper hand
See, driving in Beirut is not about rules
It's art and following clues
Watching their eyes,
Anticipating moves
Trusting they don't want to crash
Anymore than you or I do
It's a bit like living here too
You can make your plans
But most likely
The car will break down
Towed away for no reason
Or the petrol station closed
And that's ok
You just become prepared
Prepared for the rules to change
Because nothing here is ever the same
But isn't that what we love about this city
Her ability to reinvent herself
Clinging to history
But blended with the modern through and through
See, living in Beirut is not about rules
It's the art of yielding
Of building
Of writing a song
And hopefully we can learn to listen
And translate the street noises into melodies
And our own pain into harmonies
And remember the best symphonies
Don't progress in a straight line
They swell, they subside
And I think I'd be better off if I lived like I was driving in Beirut
And left behind my straight line