
When I was younger,
I stood on a mountain of pillows
with a brave decision to swallow
a whole finger. My father insulted me
because I am curious.
All his life he wished to have
a non-trouble baby whatever girl or
boy.
My forefathers preferred to bury baby girls
rather than put them
in carriages and sing them a lullaby.
I was born with a great motivation to
scratch the sky upon my shoulders, crazy
monkeys and heavy weights, I used to bake
my grief each night.
And through the daylight, while they’re trying
to sell me,
I spend my time calculating the distance
between my gender and my awaited funeral.
When I took my first steps, my tribe circled
me like bees.
They approached figuring out that I have
thighs and breasts. They tucked me in the
obedience pocket, they dwelled me
in an iron cage. They ate my ears.
When I was younger,
I crawled toward my father’s shoulders.Â
Amirah Al Wassif 's poetry collection For Those Who Don’t Know Chocolate was published in February 2019 by Poetic Justice Books & Arts, and her illustrated children book The Cocoa Boy and Other Stories was published in February 2020. Another poetry collection To Bury A Curious Girl was published by Bedazzled Ink.
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