I'm not going to talk about Lebanon
Arab irides range from blue to black I'm not going to talk about Lebanon But the pupils are all the same color I'm not going to talk about Lebanon That color is grief I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Arab skin ranges from the palest to the darkest I'm not going to talk about Lebanon But their bodies are all worn out I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Arabs laugh loud I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And talk loud I'm not going to talk about Lebanon But their eyes I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And their bodies I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Always betray them I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Arab hospitality is legendary I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Like, they're freakishly good at hospitality I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Why do you think it's so easy to invade them? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And bomb them? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And massacre them? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And incarcerate them? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Yes, I know it was an accident I'm not going to talk about Lebanon But arabs know I'm not going to talk about Lebanon There are no "accidents" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to conjecture I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to obsess I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to point fingers I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I will just allow myself to grieve I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm an American I'm not going to talk about Lebanon My priority is Black Lives Though I never felt American I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And I'm not doing enough for Black Lives I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about 1982 I'm not going to talk about Lebanon 20,000 dead I'm not going to talk about Lebanon 20,000 dead because of a pretense I'm not going to talk about Lebanon A goddamn Imperial pretense I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about 2006 I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about Souha Bechara I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about Samir Kassir I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm IN the Empire I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm fighting for Black Lives I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It is the same fight I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It is the same fight I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It is all the same fight I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Hezbollah fighters are terrorists "wanted the world over" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They are wanted by the Empire I'm not going to talk about Lebanon The "world" is a different story I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And the "world" may very well be over soon anyway I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Historical amnesia is more oppressive than jails and bombs I'm not going to talk about Lebanon People see an explosion on the Gram I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And are shocked I'm not going to talk about Lebanon In my eyes this is the norm I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about the Palestinians Or Syria Or Yemen Or Egypt Or Sudan I'm not going to talk about Lebanon America has beat me into apathy I was a fighter once But the venom and the mockery got to me I'm not going to talk about Lebanon How many died? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Who died? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon What were their names? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It's hard to remember Arab names I'm not going to talk about Lebanon My Arabic is slipping I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And slipping I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And slipping I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Egyptian never sounded like the other arabics anyway I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I've always had to assert my Arabness I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And my Africanness I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about unity Or nationalism Or Marx Or the Prophet I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Fuck you France I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It's not called "aid" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Fuck you France I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It's called reparations I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Fuck you France Fuck you Britain Fuck you U.S.A Fuck you Saudi Arabia Fuck you Ba'athists Fuck you Israel I know you don't care either way I'm not going to talk about Lebanon "I didn't do it." I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Fuck you Israel I'm not going to talk about Lebanon "I didn't do it." I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Fuck you Israel I'm not going to talk about Lebanon You fucking child I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It was an accident I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I know it was an accident I'm not going to talk about Lebanon That second explosion though I'm not going to talk about Lebanon THAT SECOND EXPLOSION THOUGH I'm not going to talk about Lebanon FUCKING FIREWORKS ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon This isn't an ethnic issue I'm not going to talk about Lebanon This isn't a religious issue I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It's a human issue I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Arabs are muslims Arabs are communists Arabs are feminists Arbs are christians Arabs are jews Arabs are atheists Arabs are queer Arabs are black Arabs are white Arabs are differently abled Arabs are everything Arabs are dying I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Arabic is the divine language And the world continues to rob us of the right to our divine language Telling us we are dumb and brutish and cruel and lazy I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I loathe social media I did not post about George Floyd Or Eric Or Breonna I don't like addressing trauma Or favoring one tragedy over others I'd rather stay quiet And watch the world spiral But now I am imprisoned by Covid And I have this shitty blog So what else is there to do? I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Americans, I know the explosion looks crazy I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And it is crazy I'm not going to talk about Lebanon But this is nothing new I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Read I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Please read I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Read in the name of the lord I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I'm so tired I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Israel is George Orwell's wet nightmare I'm not going to talk about Lebanon War is coming I'm not going to talk about Lebanon I fear for my people I'm not going to talk about Lebanon My people are a proud type I'm not going to talk about Lebanon My people do not fear death I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They never think it could happen to them I'm not going to talk about Lebanon My people live on "Inshallah" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon god's will I'm not going to talk about Lebanon It could never happen to them I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Even as it has been happening to them for centuries I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They brush it off I'm not going to talk about Lebanon With "Inshallah" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They justify their malaise I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They justify it with "Inshallah" I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Because once we pick up arms I'm not going to talk about Lebanon To defend our dignity I'm not going to talk about Lebanon The Empire calls us savages I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And reduces us to ashes I'm not going to talk about Lebanon They are not targets I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Inshallah they are not I'm not going to talk about Lebanon And I am not a victim I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Inshallah I will never be a victim I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Inshallah Don't fucking ask me about Lebanon I'm not going to talk about Lebanon Comments are closed.
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February 2021
Photo by Hillary Goidell taken for Anniversary! Stories By Tobias Wolff and George Saunders for Word for Word at Z Space
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