Tuesday, August 19, 2008

What I Will ... By Suheir Hammad



I will not dance 
To your war drum 

I will not lend my soul 
Nor my bones 
To your war drum 

I will not dance to your beating 

I know that beat
It is lifeless 

I know intimately 
That skin you are hitting  

It was alive once
Hunted 
Stolen
Stretched 

I will not dance to your drummed up war 

I will not 
Pop
Spin 
Beak 
For you 

will not hate for you 
Or even hate you 

I will not kill for you 

Especially
I will not die for you 

I will not mourn the dead 
With murder nor suicide 

I will not side with you 
Nor dance to bombs
Because everyone else is dancing 

Everyone can be wrong 

Life is a right 
Not collateral 
Or casual 

will not forget where I come from 

will craft my own drum 
Gather my beloved near 
And our chanting will be dancing 

Our humming will be drumming 
will not be played 
will not lend my name
Nor my rhythm to your beat 

I will dance
And resist 
And dance 
And persist 
And dance

This heartbeat is louder than death

Your war drum ain't louder than this breath

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