Archive
We dressed like Muslims
scarves and black abayas
beautiful shoes
no makeup yet under our hijabs
our hair was long and glorious
we were deliberate and pious
we lowered our gaze
and remained chaste
the world moved quickly
we moved slowly
through our five daily prayers
our husbands were enigmas
coming and going
through a curtain
touching us as if strangers
grateful for food, children
and purdah
we were God conscious and
conscientious
we lived in our safe world
of sisters, masjid, and Arabic
holding our breath
from Ramadan to Ramadan
Abaya – long traditional over-dress
Hijab – head scarf
Purdah – seclusion of women
Masjid – mosque
Ramadan – holy month, dedicated to fasting and prayer, that absolves previous sins
Khadija Anderson returned in 2008 to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija’s poetry has been published in print and online extensively and her poem “Islam for Americans” was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize. Khadija holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles.
Qalqilya
beautiful old land
an oasis surrounded
by the
security wall
a single gate
to protect us from
ourselves
we are so precious they
only open it
twice
a day
Khadija Anderson returned in 2008 to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija’s poetry has been published in print and online extensively and her poem “Islam for Americans” was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize. Khadija holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles.
Islam for Americans
1. means god in Arabic
99 names
no eyes
no ears
Al lah
Al lah
AL LAH
alif lam lam hamsa
Allah is not male
NOT male
not a man
or he
or HE
or anything that
you
can imagine
2. Does your husband make you wear that?
I am a
wrapped piece
of candy a
swaddled jewel
I am perfect
woman under
my packaging
you may not see
my effusive gold mahr
my fruitful awrah
3. Does your religion make you wear that?
the woman
who does not
cover her hair
should have it
shorn
~ Corinthians 15:6
4. Tessellation
Middle Eastern Art Scheherazade veil sheikh
The Alhambra calligraphy Afghanistan burqa
Palestine hashish Morocco pyramids violence
hooknosed Arabic sword mosque haram thief
sand nigger Sinbad jihad camel whore infidel
Iraq belly dancing terrorist Aladdin barbarian
Sahara couscous hookah Rumi rag head bitch
5. last words
I see a woman covered
in a long dress, headscarf
and face veil
salaam aleykum, I say
and as she looks at my
bare head, tank top
and tattoos
she replies,
wa aleykum salaam sister
Khadija Anderson (blog) returned last year to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija’s poetry has been published in print and online. She has been a featured reader numerous times in the Seattle area. She is also a Butoh dancer and collaborates with her eldest son in their dance company, Tanden Butoh.
qarrtsiluni 