I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT LEBANON

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 explosion though
I'm not going to talk about Lebanon
THAT 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