WHO REAL؟

the return of poem to be read from right to left

^{[for] when you are ready
to follow a tendency of anonymous feathers
—Zaina Alsous}

say i ،well 
particular in one no to 
backed ive time first the isnt this 
disaster a of out us

*scratch record*

here got we how wondering aint you nah

*frame freeze*

NDE an like feel doesnt it if and 
right living aint probably you
that get dont you if and
you for aint poem this

*scene the to back pan now* 
(out FBI NSA CIA the kicked we’ve that now)

12 on hand left 
seat passenger the of top the gripping hand right 
here out cantered i oh 
back galloping im now

return i 
،reader dear ،you and 
return i ،saying my of tired are

belt his unbuckles man a
security entering before
aroused is someone and
state our is this

asks poem this of draft shorter a see to professor first the 
device stylistic this sustain could i long how
think you do long how ،prof dunno i ،w counter i
™ pneumoic hegemonic demonic heteronormative khwhite the
؟itself sustain can 
rage road and clown class the all and american im now 
be never could i

device no is this ،besides

lolololol palindrome is lol 
pandemic global whole a took it 
yourselves institutionalize to you for
lol 
bioterrorism took it 
antiracism in training get to you for
lol 
well are unwell the why is it 
unwell are well the and
duress under

11:11 is it
many am i 
air the in miles thousand

sound a without poem a make to trying

words english of number the counting of tired grew i wrote i 
capture to takes it 
another in one 
writing of tired grown have i now but 
limitations inherent your towards

compassion 
yes 
have i 
it

up woke you
iraq in
you among dull the
metaphor a is that think still 
storm / desert am i then hello ،well 
up wake woke the watch and dawn at sill your on sit i 
gender had sandman the thought you haha 
eye your out sleep the wipe i

evr nevr was iraq :news breaking) 
spreading creamcheese your on waiting 
(democracy cube ice free BPA infused charcoal

species Invasive i 
Ante i 
body 
language own your in you

how look 
light we 
n 
language 
we so 
fly 
toni like 
who elmaz taught
me taught

so were you 
w up caught 
make(r) my 
model and
missed you 
glory the 
flight this of 
creature mythical i 
future the in far so gone¹ [already]
own my made i 
country 
two only w 
citizenship
:questions

؟real who² 
؟free who

reading hologram my this
you to 
me showed book a writing coz
yourselves save to read cant yall 
english you teach to arabic an write to had i guess

steph yo 
pushin still im 
brooklyn from ،yea 
/n yall did 
n nvaders 
؟yet doors those open 
i thought you know i) 
humbled am i all be would
(review semiTYN that for grateful am i
iraq that is how and... 
؟you for going revision

window the at still you or 
؟pm 8 it was or 7 at clappin 
applause yr needed ever one no 
protection need we

:question another
it at are we while
؟bulletproof window the is

hate assassin i 
nonviolent a this 
up stick

slow bullets your
timelines future as fast mine 
me end to tried still you where

infinity infinite i 
can i only 
me unend

:write you when read i what is this
bar bar bar 
how at look 
yourselves reveal you

me tell you before now 
is anger my how 
،well 
justified well 
you for translate me let 
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv=angry
smart v  v vv 
fools suffer to afford longer no can=angry 
you carry longer no can

you welcome i and 
me join to

to moved supremacists white the all why that’s
themselves reproduce to racing carolina north

meanwhile 
it has legend 
born was i when 
:mean name / myself named i 
injustice to surrender to refuse who those 
mmmmany many many many am i and

wind was i 
me make to tried they and 
language 
/ translate to tried 
me empire to
free this catch cant they

appearance third my is this but 
me paid have they time first the and
it say so 
:me with

loot the gimme 
gimme 
gimme 
gimmee 
me mind dont 
mean i
me mine dont 
donate humbly i 
to back peanuts 50 these 
elephants of academy the 
royalties own my am i 
tatted already book next my 
body this on

morrie w tuesdays got they yea
charleen w thursdays got i 
؟we is we how see you dont 
together 
history of lock the picking

come 
something you show to want i

؟too poems makes kusama yayoi know you did 
see to here are we what isnt that but 
now painting is she there
dots just are those think might you 
trauma every transforming is she but....

tacumeh friend my and me with walk a take let’s now
published get to how know to wants and grandma his about me telling is he 
conversation the before 
:turn a takes
convenient is it when black only are egyptians says he 
anything say dont i and 
ends black his where know i because 
begins mine and 
try would who seminar senior our in wife now his was it
...africa of part isnt egypt ،me tell to

see never you egypt of part the from im 
me fool cant you
ourselves colonize we when hate i besides 
+looted they while looking wasnt yall like 
hand one with history country’s my whitewashed 
other the with plantations the moved and 
that love you why know dont you like 
...much so cotton N-A-I-T-P-Y-G-E zero zero one

why wondering still im 
uncomfortable so me makes it
truth the tell to 
myself for up stand and
remember i then and
you of 99.9% because is it ،oh 
gaslight to how me taught 
self my

word strange a about ask to calls ounie sister my 
book her of review recent a in used 
nialism-de says she 
DENIHILISM :hear i and
unsound sonically 
correct etymologically but 
attempt would that everything de-nihilate to seek i 
me annihilate to 
me of many the
finger a lift to have never we and 
denihiliate to 
lack and mediocrity own your 
competence of 
end your be will

ALIVE AM I 858 72020 
listening and
last capitalism’s to
scream

say kawara on days many how and 
AM I 
LIVE A

recorded been has anger my 
assurance quality your for
minor in 
key major and

treasure hidden a was i 
known be to wished i and

creation created i 
known be could i so

in came i ،yea 
high riding 
horse trojan thoroughbred hotblooded a on 
arab or black is it 
whose on depending
on or in rollin we house

palestine in up wake will you soon

؟yet there we are 
؟progress your at 
us killin they how
؟here still p---t but 
chief in predator

؟doubt the of benefit 
haa 
name another by hope that’s

narrative national the written finally i have 
possible it makes that 
؟me w reckon to you for

precog that this
speak postverbal 
the get you did
؟yet EXTRATRANSMISSION³

good what’s knows poet the
living time hard a has but 
it

؟cages in children the put they why know you
fly can we know they because
wings got passport every why reason same 
long too for mine hold they when like dont i why that’s
envelope an just is body the and 
stamps the forgetting about dream same the having keep i why be must

condescension your and condensation in grew i 
cumulus i 
you radius and circumference i

fractal i 
dahlia i 
dunyah i

abstract i
conceptual i

:story out coming my

:one no

:store supply art the in one no absolutely

؟with you help can I anything there is ،hi :employee store art

brushes these all up feeling am i way the question that expecting was i :me

...soon closing are we that just it’s no *expression shocked*:employee store art

am i 
now learning 
color about
blend to 
of instead 
mute

bristle every but brush your clean can you 
pigment of memory the has

chosen and given: families two got 
:you for translate also will i this / long very name last our 
favored highly and blessed are who we 
see to yet have you whom we 
other each find who we 
be me letting for you thank

you thank
you love i 
now niece my call i 
say 
nok knock
bok bok 
؟say cowcat the did what 
mooo 
yowww

ring ring 
matrix the from calling
arabophone the up pick

up taking of me accused who everyone to sorry oops and 
this before space queer 
!delimited was it know didnt i 
condition(s) the shame but poets the love we 
kstksttsktsk 
grace saving our 
low go they when said
flow nile the way the that’s becoz high go we

say josé hear i now 
one this for wild you

wild n wile i 
poem this teach you when 
state Avatar in it wrote i kids the tell

astral i 
last i 
me qualify can test DNA no 
say to is which
me standardize modern evr never will you

ask i now

؟america in surveillve will who
؟america in surveillve will who
؟america in surveillve will who

            “ ”

                        “ ”

            “ ”

                        “ ”

            “ ”

                        “ ” 
؟real who 
؟free who 
                        real who

؟free who

r           e           a           l           who

؟free who



^{*This poem is best viewed on desktop.}

¹ “Sun Ra’s consistent statement, musically and spoken, is that this is a primitive world. Its practices, beliefs, religions, are uneducated, unenlightened, savage, destructive, already in the past. . . .That’s why Sun Ra returned only to say he left. Into the Future. Into Space.” —Amiri Baraka

² Instead of an Arabic footnote, here is a list of artists who inspire, and were with me in the making of this poem...and so much more (in some kind of order of appearance): Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Elmaz Abinader, Suheir Hammad, Toni Morrison, Tavonne S. Carson, Ava Duvernay, Solmaz Sharif, Monica Sok, Justin Phillip Reed, Xandria Phillips, Charleen McClure, Nabila Lovelace, Ashley M. Jones, Danez Smith, René Magritte, Jay Deshpande, José Olivarez, Jonah Mixon-Webster, The Desert Crew, Fred Moten, John Rufo, S*ean D. Henry-Smith, Andrea Abi-Karam, Belal Mobarak, Jess Rizkallah, Hayan Charara, Randa Jarrar, Zaina Alsous, Roberto Montes, James Baldwin, Mo Browne, Audre Lorde, Adrian Piper, Evie Shockley, Airea D. Matthews, Tyehimba Jess, Harryette Mullen, Safia Elhillo, Ricardo Maldonado, Mejdulene B. Shomali, Philip Metres, and Raymond Antrobus. Shokran.

³ “The word Black, has geographic power, pulls everybody in:” —Gwendolyn Brooks, Primer for Blacks