وَنْ تاوني سترينجر يسأل في شعره “التعصب”:
“إن كنتَ غامقاً إلى هذا الحدّ فما حاجتُك للشمس؟”
Poem by One Tawny Stranger
You’re dark enough, why do you need sun?
But you sound educated.
Is that your real voice?
But you look black
Not Jamaican, you’re too-light skinned
Oh you are Jamaican?
Where are your dreads?
Just so you know, I am a fan of Bob Marley
And I do love me the occasional spliff
Getting high every now and again.
But your height,
Your muscles
Make you an overtowering overpowering cause for concern.
How do I measure up?
Actually can I… measure up?
Your gait is too smooth, too streamlined,
Too like you’ve got somewhere important to go.
Please tone it down.
Chest too wide,
Taking up too much of my airspace on
My buses,
My trains,
My country
And if you’re travelling by air forget it.
Your passport still looks Muslim.
And you know you’re banned from American Airlines right?
But you’re still my brother.
As-salamu ‘alaykum
Oh you’re not?
Praise Jesus!
Oh you’re not Christian?
You ain’t taking my Bible!
You ain’t taking my God!
You ain’t taking my right to tell you to
Go burn in hell you unbelieving monkey Uncle Tom-looking motherfucker!
What?
No I’m not!
How could you even say such a thing?
This is a free country!
How can you be so…
So…
Prejudiced?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Material should not be published in another periodical before at least one year has elapsed since publication in Whispering Dialogue. *أن لا يكون النص قد تم نشره في أي صحيفة أو موقع أليكتروني على الأقل (لمدة سنة) من تاريخ النشر. *All content © 2021 Whispering Dialogue or respective authors and publishers, and may not be used elsewhere without written permission. جميع الحقوق محفوظة للناشر الرسمي لدورية (هَمْس الحِوار) Whispering Dialogue ولا يجوز إعادة النشر في أيّة دورية أخرى دون أخذ الإذن من الناشر مع الشكر الجزيل
