birds fall out of the sky
between the date trees
        يا قمر, my moon
does the soil receive blood
as water, does god see
        يا روحي, my soul
the woman washing a
stranger’s body in the street,
the daughter performing
the ghusl on her mother

the fish you found has
been dead for many days
        عزيزتي, my dear
use your mouth to hold
the name of this qarya
        حبيبتي, my love
while it beds the bodies
of many generations,
before it is flattened
into eggplant fields

thread the needle with
your hair and embroider
        حياتي, my life
into the skin of my breast
the soft black stars of history
        يا روح الروح, soul of my soul
of the fifty words we have
for love in arabic, the one i want 
on my tongue when i die 
is yours                     […]