Calligraphies VII

for Fadwa Suleiman


While the same rain fell
on suburbs of exile and
motherless children,

whose courage was certainty
whose impatience turned to doubt,

she came in the door
like a comrade, lover, friend,
and took off her shoes –

older than my daughter but
too young to be my sister.

                  *

Sister of someone
who was forced to denounce her
on television;

pacifist in keffiyeh,
but they got guns anyway –

She rolled impatient
...