CPTnet
November 22, 2004

AT-TUWANI POEM: fajr, part i

by Maia Williams

i.

i'm on my death bed

i see the angels

in hijab and snake kohl

in Abrahamic days the women

were in charge of water

and they still are

in this land of war and frankincence

married for richer or poorer

the ocean bending over

to kiss the stars

married

on a mountain

i saw a skull bleached

becoming earth

and rocks

in the desert

we may be the first generation

giving birth to ourselves

to reach past gender

animal feces becomes rock

sexuality has become illegal and dangerous

so do whatever you want

'cause when this was their earth

they destroyed it their way

so now that it is our earth

decomposing piles of excrement and madness

we will destroy it our way

the settlers from the top of the mountain
come down into the village

at night

and poison wells

new languages giving birth to children
so many new ways to lie

pairs and trios of women

come down the hill

swinging buckets

to the well

fenced by wire

walk back up the hill

balancing water on their heads

mornings water

afternoons water

nights water

clean drinking water

dirty water for animals

cleaning floors

bodies

clothes

making tea water

coffee

cleaning babies pink

brown bodies

i'm on my death bed

i see the angels

hijab and snake kohl

so it's all alright

i'm on my death bed I see the angels

i don't know if heaven as a ghetto in it

but every ghetto has a heaven in it

mothers and lovers

can look like crack whores

in disguise

in the wrong time of the night

we could make this the end of the world

the settlements on the top of the mountain

and us in the valley

just trying to climb

a little higher

to burn our backs in the moonlight

there are ali babas

in the garden of eden tonight

and a thousand virgins waiting

for a single man

a single flower

but all i can give them is thank you

and the offer to sit and wait with them