Tuesday, August 19, 2008

4:02 PM ... By Suheir Hammad




Poem supposed to be about one minute 
And the lives of three women in it
Writing it 

And up the block a woman killed
By her husband

Poem now about one minute
And the lives of four women
In it

Haitian mother
She walks through town 

Carrying her son's head
Banging it against her thigh 
Calling out creole 
Come see
See what they've done to my flesh
Holds on to him grip tight
Through hair wool
His head 

All that's left of her

In Tunisia
She folds pay up into stocking
Washes his european semen
Off her head 

Hands her heart to God
And this month's rent to mother
Sings berber 

The gold haired one favored me 
Rode and ripped my flesh 
I now have food to eat

Brooklyn lover
Stumbles

Streets ragged under sneakers
She carries her heart
Banged up against
Thighs 

Crying 
Ghetto look 
Look what's been done with my flesh 
My trust
Humanity
Somebody tell me
Something good


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