yesterday
By Hala Saleh
Identifies with the nation of Palestine
somebody called me a
deeply empathetic person
a sharply dressed white woman
said I feel other people’s pain
in my
sized up my
body
olive skin hair eyes
two kufiyyehs (byilzam*)
how can she know
demanded (almost barked)
is it because of how quickly
“Where are you from?”
the children’s tears fall
from my
her blue
eyes
when i see them
piercing
crying
unwavering
bleeding
entitled
scared
waiting
for my answer
for their
I’m
Palestinian
Mamas
staring right back
her smug i-knew-it smile a
white
phosphorous
singeing
skin
victory
i forgot that white people
expect
me
us
to answer
to die
to them
before even asking
if i have
if we have
a name
names.
Hala Saleh is a Tatreez (traditional Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery) artist who lives in the Seattle area.
Hala practices the art of Tatreez both as a way to connect to her heritage and culture, but also as a way to resist the erasure of Palestinian identity.
Hala writes as a way to explore her own feelings and relationship to space, identity, and humanity.