Meeting Poem by Robert Melliard

Once I met a Muslim on a rocky shore.
His skin was brown and his hair dark;
but I was a Christian and pale.

We eyed each other warily at first,
but then we talked, then swam.

We caught some shellfish
and I took him home
where we cooked paella
and drank white wine.

'The Koran forbids shellfish, ' I said
'and wine, too, I believe! '

'Forget the Koran, ' he replied,
'that's all in theory! '

Soon we were good friends.

Why can't our leaders do this?