Civil War Memories

 

Asking God for a peaceful night and terror to leave,
Called out for ‘Jibril’, face to face with Al Shabab,
Her son buried next to Fadumo (her daughter),
Father left Aisha for a hoe in Kenya,

Close my eyes,
Smell smoke from gun barrels,
Red henna within a terrorist’s beard,

Saido was 13 when she was raped by her cousin,
Muhammad barely could walk before famine hit,
Buried a two year old knowing famine was curable,
Wishing to hold him in my arms once more,

Following year Saido went missing,
Forced to marry an Al-Shabab commander,
She refused and what happened after I will never forget,
Every Al Shabab member spent the night penetrating her,
Afterword performing Female Genitalia Mutilation,
Her unrecognizable body buried next to her brother,

She was the smartest student I ever met,
Outperformed every male poet,
Understand her body was a gift,
Asked me daily if I read Lysistrata,

It isn’t me being obsessed,
When the dead visit my dreams,

Published by Khalid Zilberg

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