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Poetry

Subtracting Allah from Persia

 

Rom Hashemi
January 12, 2005
iranian.com

Salman the Seller-Outer
and General Afshin
you betrayed me
I think
almost as
much as
the Ayatollah did
on exported French cassettes

when I heard it,
the Azaan,
I told no one
shameful shivers
down my spine
imagining Arab sweat
forming on this Persian back
at prayer time

Ted Koppel
and those Nightline beards
on the face
of my father's stolen faith
why I hate
what I hate
while kissing Qur'an
before leaving the house
and marrying Barbie-blonde

then She comes
professor woman
with by-choice hijab
not covering her mouth
saying things like,
"wet chastity"
and "dick"
in Arabic
or "Sex and the Umma"
with no "istaghfrollah"

just doesn't fit the mold
my Muslim mold
she won't let me
keep my blanky
of holding onto the past
like a teddy bear
that let's me sleep

then I remember dreams
of Olde Persian Glory
cut short
on Omar's scimitar.
fourteen centuries ago?

but then SAY:
"Jews aren't Nazis
Natives aren't Americans
Slaves aren't White
and Persians aren't Muslims."
Verily God is Cruel, Stupid.
Sura 6:66

hungry for something
like a ham pizza
pronouncing my name before paying
praying that "Hashemi"
would just
GO HOME!
to 2306 North Rodney Parham

damn It
not Her,
the Teacher
that finds a difference
between Arabi and Farsi
between Allah and Forgiveness
between A and F

I then think
get over it
get over rape!?!
that produced that Persian perversion,
islam and the Wine
we spilled on those vile verses
enough to be legible and divine

"Assalamalaykum"
but I heard them say fire-worshipper
"Hi"
like I said yo' mama
while pumping that worshipped fire for blood
in and out
doubting the Devil
was goose-stepping
to the Tehran
of my submitting soul

my Greater Jihad
either to be alone and proud
or gathered and prostrated
before this Arab god
that I hated,
that rolls off the tongue,
"Allah"
saw
what was added to Her
and the subtracting thereof
made my heathen heart start to stir.

Rom Hashemi
4.16.2004
2:07 PM

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