AMIRAH AL WASSIF – Egypt

After my dad’s funeral

After my dad’s funeral, I wore his clothes
I still remember how terrible my relatives and neighbors stared at me.
First, they whispered to each other, then they babbled about something.
I was my father’s daughter and he always taught me that there’s no difference
between a man and a woman, but here in our society, there are many differences
between them!
The first time I visited my father’s grave, I feel his spirit floating around me.
It wasn’t a kind of horror or Halloween’s atmosphere
I really felt that he was trying to kiss me on the cheek.
I read once an interview with a psychic medium who declared that the dead
people see their loved ones and feel them all the time
Every night I wonder do you see me now.
And what are you doing during this very moment?
Do you eat apples and bananas?
Is there such a thing in your current world?
After your death, I tried to text you many times but they told me there are no cell
phones up there in the other world.

Confessions of a phenomenal woman

My shoe size is 41, so I have nothing to lose.
I am not your perfect Cinderella!
Your dream girl has a small feet instead I have wings.
“You are my type”, you said but like all the free birds, I never ask permission to soar
higher.
My maps made of knowledge and freedom.
Could you baby read my newsletters?
You told me once that you are a big fan of the sports magazine, but let me ask could
you ever read poetry.
Last night, I spent my hours contemplating your hands lines and found nothing
promise.
But you explained that your brightness is stronger than the sun and the lucky lay
under your skin.
As a free woman, I danced barefoot on the roof of your mind and you applauded me
with a grin.
“Are you strong enough?” You asked
Then, I replied immediately “why?”
“To be locked up in a golden cage” you answered.
Although, I didn’t like your joke at that time, but I smiled back to you from the top of
the world years later.

Violations of women’s rights

My teacher made a hole in my forehead,
When I asked him why did you do that?
He laughed and went away.
My uncle loved making jokes about women, one night he commanded me to sit
on the floor and zip my mouth
When I asked him why did you say that?
He laughed and went away.
Our assemblyman doubting the woman’s ability
Every session, he makes a victory through hushing a feminine voice.
When a curious journalist asked him why does he act like that?
He laughed and went away.
Our sheikh doesn’t believe in women’s right to work
He also doesn’t trust those women who are going out alone without a male
guardian
When his helpless wife asked him
Did our lord require that?
He laughed and went away.
My therapist isn’t able to understand my problem,
Every time he repeats
Everything will be okay
Once I asked him
When exactly it will happen?

He laughs and goes away

Amirah Al Wassif has two poetry collections: For Those Who Don’t Know Chocolate [Poetic Justice Books & Arts, February 2019] and the illustrated children’s book, The Cocoa Boy and Other Stories [Poetic Justice Books & Arts, February 2020]. Her poems have appeared in print and online publications including South Florida Poetry, Birmingham Arts Journal, Hawaii Review, The Meniscus, Chiron Review, The Hunger, Writers Resist, Right Now, and several other publications, and her most recent poetry collection (How to Bury a Curious Girl) published in April 2022 by Bedazzled Ink Publishing LLC, Fairfield, CA.

You can find more of Amirah’s work here.