The Beautiful Terrible
after Natalie DiazGlory be to the loss. What is there
to say to a man whose
mouth has betrayedhim. Why leave the one
you love, in search of
another non-love. I follow thegeometry of your neck, your glowing
moonface, how long must I dreg
fingers across wrist, across
melancholy, you recite myname … salawat, what is said – what
should have been said. How you
belong to that no-one country, I invent
the divine in me, I want to pull youunder, and under again, until
we are oceaned. Disappear
those toothy-grinned lovers in shoulderblades, they are more mine than
yours. I wonder who will tether
themselves to your hips, they
look like homeland, must wetouch to believe we are really
here, our skin tingles, one
endless stick of cinnamon. We
guard this moment, ask permission fornext breath, I will never be
as happy as now, habibi, habibi,
this is our pilgrimage, I dogrief-work with your body. Sweat
to make the bushfire in your voice
break to ambers and violets and
lush greens. How I wanted tosurrender my dialects, all their
silence, this language blames
us, spare me this last goodbyetonight. Glory be to the beautiful
terrible. You are more hers than
mine … and this is a poem older than loss.
bil 3arabi: 6 poems by Sara Saleh
By Sara M Saleh | 5 December 2019