In the Burka~ By Dana Negev

I am a tent
No warm breasts do I have
no curvy shape
No beautiful arms, no black eyelashes
No alluring smell
I am a tent
moving around slowly
yet gracefully
I can see but not be seen
I can watch life, be a wise woman
but not show my eyes, my tears, my laughter,
my rosy cheeks

But do you know…
I can hold a sword under my burka
can stuff a poem in my pocket
can hide food parcels
can hide a pregnancy
can smuggle arms
I can lead a revolution!
I can carry a laptop
an iPhone
and you won't know, when you see my tent.
I now carry
all the injustices of years
The cruel beatings of women
of girls just ripening
of infants beaten by frustrated parents
and of parents beaten by cruel dictators.

All that under my burka.
It is heavy indeed
and I want to unload it
at the town square!

But I am still afraid of beatings
Still longing for tenderness
for protection from men
still longing for children at my breast
still a woman

Can you see my flashing eyes?
I scream. Can you hear?
It is the scream of centuries

Sep 11 2011

Author Bio:

Dana Negev grew up in Israel and has been a peace worker for many years. She brought together Israelis and Palestinians in a poetry show in Tel Aviv (2005) and in Berkeley, Calif. (2013). Her poems appeared in the anthology "Before We Have Nowhere to Stand" by Lost Horse Press . Dana was a member of Women in Black for many years, seeing the role of women as essential in speaking out against injustice. She is also a performance poet. She lives in New Mexico, works in schools and is passionate about speaking against racism and oppression. She hopes that art and poetry can help touch people in this way.