In Breath / Out Breath
On the occasion of your next
full breath think of Gaza.
-- B. Beausoleil
As the screaming missiles
line the sky with fonts of war
I take full breaths:
Breathing in Gaza City
Breathing out Tehran
In Rafah
Out Haifa
Breathing in Tel Aviv
Breathing out Khan Younis
In Jerusalem
Out Isfahan
Breathing in Rasht
Breathing out Gaza Strip
In Iran
Out Israel
In the atmosphere of grief and astonishment
I insist on breathing deeply
Wishing away the air-sucking
monster in my throat
Waiting for a stutter
to interrupt the script
the certainty of war
Waiting for a crack
Esther Kamkar was born in Tehran, Iran and lived in Jerusalem for seven years before emigrating to the United States. She lives and writes in California. You can find more information at www.estherkamkar.com.