because i am the lovechild of stagnation
and progress
because rich, guilt-black oil gushes from me
and squanderously smolders in me
because my thoughts are hidden from the public
and my hair is uncovered
because my lungs are polluted with desert dust
and industrial smog
because i am trapped in a cycle between a ring of terror
and the war on terror
because allah
and jesus both tempt this soul they just can’t reach
because when you ask who i am
i have to check the box labeled ‘other’
i’m the uncomfortable splint for the break between old and new.
Published in The Muse in spring 2006
I remember this from Lit Mag -- you have always been a writer of beautiful poetry.
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