why do i keep writing  

the same poem?

our bombs keep killing their kids who look 

exactly like my kids 

when they’re sleeping 

only there’s no such thing as us and them only

their bloodsoaked 1 trillion dollar “resolutions” 

imploded children 

the farthest thing  

from poetry

so is the mention of 

“what’s happening in the Middle East” at raucous

undeserving tables gleaming and filthy with guilt 

a relative tells me  

I don’t have to give my new baby an Arabic name 

she’s just shy of 30 weeks finally surpassed the brink of 

viability 

survivability

outside the womb, rahm same root as 

rahma, merciful 

the first name of Allah

so I add bold, unrepentant  

names to my list  

Khadijiah, Ruqayyah, Malak, Ghada, Hajjar

are those too harsh on your tongue?  

or is apocalypse easier to swallow?