A little ditty I dreamed up in tribute to Jakarta, while sitting in a cab on the way home with my sinus and throat infection being aggravated by a disgusting air freshener. Sung to the tune of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”

I heard he had some good food
I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him
And live here for a while
And there he was, this city
A stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with syringes
Stinging my throat with his burn
Killing me softly with his smog
Killing me softly with his smog

Shortening my whole life with his fumes

Killing me softly with his smog

I felt all flushed with fever
Bewildered by the crowds
Then I realized I was sick
And breaking out in hives
I prayed that it wasn’t dengue
But the doctor said typhoid

Strumming my pain with syringes
Stinging my throat with his burn
Killing me softly with his smog
Killing me softly with his smog
Shortening my whole life with his fumes
Killing me softly with his smog

He smells just like a sewer
Especially on rainy days
And yes, he does have nightclubs
But I’m too sick to attend
And he just keeps on swinging
Despite the traffic jams

Strumming my pain with syringes
Stinging my throat with his burn
Killing me softly with his smog
Killing me softly with his smog
Shortening my whole life with his fumes
Killing me softly with his smog