had partner My .Survival for /
trip the for long hair their grown /
—love make to nervous too was I and
Editors’ Note: The following poem by is part of the notebook I Want Sky, collecting prose, poems, and hybrid work celebrating Egyptian activist Sarah Hegazy, and the lives of all LGBTQ+ Arabs and people of the SWANA region and its diaspora. Edited by Mariam Bazeed and published as a part of a partnership with Mizna, the notebook will also be available as a print issue this summer, including pieces exclusive to that format. Continue reading work published in this series here.
—after Marwa Helal, for Sarah Hegazy
—“cousin” my was partner my Cairo visiting When
but relatives my of many like real for not
had partner My .Survival for
trip the for long hair their grown
—love make to nervous too was I and
*.Egypt in us for denials small many of two
day every النيل along walked We
boats on partied people where
lights twinkling with strung
.(ألف مبروك) by paraded processions wedding ecstatic &
Boat Queen the of course of thought I
dates many on went he if friend my asked &
careful be to have you—hard it’s said he
—Out found get to not
,silenced ,lonely was life his of part that
–yours and ,been once had mine as
بنت البلد.
,tool kitchen a like useful until shelved
ع letter the like awkward
.tongue secondhand my by mangled
world the of mother the even ,يا سارة
—abundance your hold couldn’t
, حب with bursting heart ,woman Arab Queer
—photo that in whole beautifully so
—flourished flag ,radiant smile
spectrum vast a joy your
,freedom fleeting in revel you as
.haven momentary a
.failed not have you ,يا سارة
failed that’s world this is It
luminous so life a protect to
,sky every in visible is it
.extinguish to impossible
,are you where نيل another is there hope I
music with alive and lights with strung
parades of noise glorious the &
) love queer in rejoicingألف مبروك),
color every fly can you where
like you whoever with dance and
.ready you’re when over only it’s and
*أم الدنيا