because to me, you are
sikkar & 3asal,
your sweetness is
the cooling nahr to
quench my nar, ever-
searching to slay,
ever-restless.
i chopped pistachios
with my knife so that
with each cut, you would
taste the shade of the
cedars on a summer's day.
the rosewater is for your
cheeks, for the subtle
reminder that kisses
are a compromise when
you must choose between
lips or dessert. when you
taste mine, the temple
ruins crumble, the mountains
level with
the fertile valleys once
sheltered,
the salt of the
ba7r lingers on our skin,
i feel the sun's breath
on the gentle breezes
and become one with
the wind.
you wonder why baklawa
makes me feel so strongly,
but in truth it's the closest
i can get to memories of qashta.
YOU ARE READING
Yalla Habibi: poems in 3arabeezi
PoetryArabic for "Hurry Up, Love," Yalla Habibi is all about a personal exploration of Arab American identity. This condensed, illustrated chapbook of poems is written in 3arabeezi, or Arabish-- mostly English with some Arabic words (and a fun glossary is...
