native tongue

after Marwa Helal

plenty  made   trauma   of  canvass  was  mother

I say father about same say I

siblings with relationship meant life another

*daughters  &  sons  imagined  halves  of  mind

someone  by  painted  canvas    another  am   I

be to supposed am I who erase may I

erasure into vapor into streams into مائ turned lie

me like more be to want I don’t why

give to promise you wholeness from away run I

time in moments deliver march of tides

lives melted become clocks silenced fine

//

أبناء و بَنات *

Author’s Note:

“native tongue” adapts The Arabic, a poetic form invented by Marwa Helal, first featured in Winter Tangerine in November 2016, which “includes an Arabic letter with an Arabic footnote, and an Arabic numeral, preferably written right to left as the Arabic language is, and vehemently rejects you if you try to read it left to right.” This poem is meant to be read first left to right, then right to left. 

“native tongue” will also appear in the Palestine Print Issue by Sumou.

hold your applause

hold your applause
sit in the silence
i need for you
to hold your applause
sit in the silence
of what you have allowed to go on

what does it mean to accept an award
from a governing body, an institution
that allowed the genocide of my people. clapped
while families were wiped out, under rubble, engulfed whole
what does it mean when your words
are favored for the pity of the day
worn like an outfit paraded on instagram
not for when history is actually being made
for when people say enough is enough

listen i need you to

hold your applause
sit in the silence
of what you have allowed to go on
what you have decided to stay quiet on

keep that silence
carry it with you

do not think we need
thoughts and meanderings
on our plight our freedom our struggle our land
our men our women our armor our resistance
our resistance our resistance our resistance our resistance
our resistance our resistance our resistance our resistance
listen i need you to

hold your applause
sit in the silence
of what you have allowed to go on
what you have decided to stay quiet on

keep that silence
carry it with you

do not speak
wipe your tongue
of the rubble it cowers under

let the silence engulf you whole.