These are selections from Marwa Helal’s "WHO REAL؟"
I have chosen to separate sections according to how they appear in her book, Ante Body. Read the complete poem, the return of poem to be read from right to left
poem to be read from right to left
"[for] when you are ready
to follow a tendency of anonymous feathers"
-Zaina Alsous, A Theory of Birds
say i ،well
particular in one no to
backed ive time first the isnt this
disaster a of out us
*scratch record*
here got we how wondering aint you nah
*frame freeze*
NDE an like feel doesnt it if and
right living aint probably you
that get dont you if and
you for aint poem this
*scene the to back pan now*
(out FBI NSA CIA the kicked we’ve that now)
lolololol palindrome is lol
pandemic global whole a took it
yourselves institutionalize to you for
lol
bioterrorism took it
antiracism in training get to you for
lol
well are unwell the why is it
unwell are well the and
duress under
so were you
w up caught
make(r) my
model and
missed you
glory the
flight this of
creature mythical i
future the in far so gone2 [already]
own my made i
country
two only w
citizenship
:questions
؟real who
؟free who
reading hologram my this
you to
me showed book a writing coz
yourselves save to read cant yall
english you teach to arabic an write to had i guess
:question another
it at are we while
؟bulletproof window the is
hate assassin i
nonviolent a this
up stick
slow bullets your
timelines future as fast mine
me end to tried still you where
infinity infinite i
can i only
me unend
:write you when read i what is this
bar bar bar
how at look
yourselves reveal you
me tell you before now
is anger my how
،well
justified well
you for translate me let
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv=angry
smart v v vv
fools suffer to afford longer no can=angry
you carry longer no can
you welcome i and
me join to
to moved supremacists white the all why that’s
themselves reproduce to racing carolina north
meanwhile
it has legend
born was i when
:mean name / myself named i
injustice to surrender to refuse who those
mmmmany many many many am i and
see never you egypt of part the from im
me fool cant you
ourselves colonize we when hate i besides
+looted they while looking wasnt yall like
hand one with history country’s my whitewashed
other the with plantations the moved and
that love you why know dont you like
...much so cotton N-A-I-T-P-Y-G-E zero zero one
why wondering still im
uncomfortable so me makes it
truth the tell to
myself for up stand and
remember i then and
you of 99.9% because is it ،oh
gaslight to how me taught
self my
word strange a about ask to calls ounie sister my
book her of review recent a in used
nialism-de says she
DENIHILISM :hear i and
unsound sonically
correct etymologically but
attempt would that everything de-nihilate to seek i
me annihilate to
me of many the
finger a lift to have never we and
denihiliate to
lack and mediocrity own your
competence of
end your be will
am i
now learning
color about
blend to
of instead
mute
bristle every but brush your clean can you
pigment of memory the has
chosen and given: families two got
:you for translate also will i this / long very name last our
favored highly and blessed are who we
see to yet have you whom we
other each find who we
be me letting for you thank
ask i now
؟america in surveillve will who
؟america in surveillve will who
؟america in surveillve will who
“ ”
“ ”
“ ”
“ ”
“ ”
“ ”
؟real who
؟free who
real who
؟free who
r e a l who
؟free who
