Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Love, InshAllah

Home
Muslim
Relationships and Religion
Brown Skin Lady

Brown Skin Lady

Last updated on: November 3, 2014 at 11:16 am by Posted by The Editors

Brown Skin Lady 2014-11-03T11:16:18-07:00 Posted by The Editors

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Brown Skin Lady

for Sara

I never looked at you like you were brown

skinned meaning you are not black, meaning

your tongue can wrap around America

like a scarf as you curse at the television. I’m in

the kitchen trying to make lentils like yours

and it’s so windy in Brooklyn that a tree branch

taps my window like out of a horror movie

(where the black guy always gets killed first).

The TV shows the dirt where you were born from

smoking and little halos of dust remember

your first breath that doesn’t look dangerous

even washed in bullets your mother doesn’t look

dangerous and I picture you climbing some fruit tree

and yanking the most dangerous fig from it, for her.

You are the blackest of the black the most hated

most dangerous even now as the branch outside

my kitchen window is shaped like your name

in Arabic and reminds me who I eat daal with

who I wanna change the pronunciation of god for,

just so I can wrap a ring around your finger

and call you mine.

—

Editor’s note: Michael wrapped that ring around Sara’s finger this August!

Michael Cirelli is the author of THE GRIND (Hanging Loose Press, 2013), EVERYONE LOVES THE SITUATION (Penmanship Books, 2011), VACATIONS ON THE BLACK STAR LINE (Hanging Loose Press, 2010), and LOBSTER WITH OL’ DIRTY BASTARD (Hanging Loose Press, 2008), which was a New York Times best-seller from an independent press and was featured in the “Debut Poets” Issue of Poets & Writers magazine. He has also authored two curricula, Poetry Jam (Recorded Books, 2010) and Hip Hop Poetry & The Classics (Milk Mug, 2004),and is the Executive Director of Urban Word NYC. As a performer, he has been a National Poetry Slam finalist and was featured on the HBO series Def Poetry Jam and Brave New Voices. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

love inshallah poetry monday

love poetry

Michael Cirella

muslim american love stories

muslim american poetry

Previous Post

August 23, 2013

Calling Muslim Women Artists, Activists, Thinkers

Next Post

August 28, 2013 Step Baba

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Brown Girl Dreaming Editors Flirting with Fate and other Disasters of an Intersectional Muslimah Food, Love, & Memories Friday Love Halal Since 22 Integrity of Heart Life After Death Literary Mama Literature Love Inshallah Podcast Love InshAllah writers Media My Infidel Husband Not Without Love Poetry Monday Radical Love Reflections & Readings Reviews of Love InshAllah Salaam Love Writers Sex & The Ummah Single in the City Spotlight Story & Chai Book Club The Geekologist The Love Tour The Male Gaze Things I Wish I'd Known Thoughts of a Wasat Girl Uncategorized Your Sunny Side Up Your voices

Select a Month May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What animals did Jesus ride into Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A donkey A camel An ox A horse