My hyphenated self
By Solmaz Sharif
May 21, 2002
The Iranian
i live
sandwiched between two gods
neighbors with me
in between
asking me for sugar and rice
and everything nice
mr. wayne wants me as his whore
rosie the riveter needs a replacement
he says
he hides her in the basement
cause she's getting
too damn loud
too damn proud
to put out for uncle sam
who never calls her a niece
for fear of being
incestual
but i will have to do
he says
muhammad knocks on my door
five times daily
says he's seeking his 73rd harem
he places his paradise on my fingertips
says i'll be his own little virgin
says he'll forget my vices
if i would just do this
for him
says he'll have some trouble turning me
from traitor to creator
but i will have to do
he says
both using fervor
as the weapon of choice
the word of one god spills from
their bloated lips
resuscitating exhausted slogans
............united we stand
in the name of
man
sin in any name but their own
selected as the enemy
and my loose hips
fit that like familiar jeans
becoming targets when my saunter
strays their craving stare
and me unwilling
to bear their children
so they target cities bearing
my name
............bombing us back into
............the stone age
............using technology
............as makeshift time machines
target cites with names
i could give my children
target
my name
my name
my name
January 30, 2002
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