A new poem by Pōneke poet Khadro Mohamed.
20 daughters of the east
//
the 1st daughter was only 6 when she realised she held the entire universe in the palm of her hand. the milky way snaking around her wrist, stars sat in the centre, a million moons dangled off each finger.
the 2nd daughter is dead before the morning light turns her yellow, she joins the earth a day later, her ghost travels through me
the 3rd has a name that sounds a bit like an earthquake. there is a rumble when she breathes, so she avoids it altogether.
the 4th trails the edges of the nile looking for the remains of cleopatra
the 5th has skin like honey, covered in a layer of fire
the 6th is threaded in our blood, her lineage ours to share
the 7th was born in a field, skin smelling of lavender.
the 8th is our mother the 9th appears in all of our nightmares
the 10th is in an eternal spring
the 11th is just concept, hanging from the trees
the 12th is having dinner with her children
the 13th is sitting alone at a restaurant
the 14th is having her first kiss
the 15th is running through a blooming sahara
the 16th is crying in the Nile river
the 17th is carrying the sun in her pockets
the 18th is questioning her ancestors
the 19th is learning Arabic
the 20th just wants to forget it all
Author’s note: “The 15th of March 2024 marks the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the lives of 51 Muslim worshipers in Christchurch. While I have not lost anyone personally in the attacks, it affected the Muslim community across the motu. On this day, and everyday, let us not forget the harms caused by unchecked Islamophobia and Racism. May Allah grant the survivors and their families steadfastness ameen.”
The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are now being accepted until 28 April 2024. Please send up to three poems in a PDF or Word document to chris@christse.co.nz.