Two nights

before my eyes

witnessed silence

on the screen,

I had been calmly trying to tell

my side

of the story. Terror —

to find out, crying, you had lost

your scream. You scream you

scream

silent letters we learnt at school

silent words we learnt at war

silent bodies

we learnt

in the cities

of others 
One day

ago…
All it takes is anger—

plenty

to find out

you are not what you say

you are what you scream 
One life to chew

like a father on a dinner table

like a mother, in uniform, at the door

silence, silence

one brother

and one home you had had

one tablespoon mom said —

add a tablespoon of turmeric

life gets by. 
On my vocal cord

pain had built a memory—Even pain

remembers

pain remembers 
Doctors said remember

No smoking

No lemonade

No writing

  on bodies

No writing nor typing

No conversations to be

  held

No speaking

loudly. Silent, you remain 
And I forget. 
I forgot my cigarettes in my suitcase

I forgot I ran away

 the sniper

 the rubbles

I forgot Rim Banna’s song

 the singer

my songs. I forgot

 the way home

the houses I have been guested in

Forgot. 
But two nights ago— remember,

anger, remember

I needed to scream

in a video call

and it vanished 
Silence, silence. 
Mouth wide open

Heart, deep deep

cuts

tongue, wounded

words.

Ache. Anger, all it takes

Scream you scream

silent you remain
mornings would come again

Mornings would come again

mornings have come again

mornings have come again

 And

the magpies

 my

dear friends

 my

only Australian friends.