For the Man Who Colonized My Body
By Hinnah Mian
my mother tells me of how
her homeland was once
taken over by those who
felt as though they
were entitled to it
simply because she
wasn’t pretty enough
to call it her own
i can’t tell if its my
memory or hers
when i see the
stare of a soldier
holding his gun as
if its bullets
belonged in my body
as much as i
was supposed to belong
on this soil
she tells me we are
blessed to have two homes
on both ends of the world
and i tell her it is a curse
to not belong to
either of them
my mother tells me of howdisappointed she was in mewhen i had my landget taken over bya man who felt as thoughhe was entitled to itsimply because i was toopretty to not share ithe left his marks on methe way the bombsleft their marks onmy mother’s hometownwhen she was learning
how to be a little girlin the comfort of herown bomb sheltershe tells me of howshe was taught toavoid the men marchingaround with big gunsand uniforms becausethey always seem tohave a hand onthe triggeri tell her it ishard to avoid themwhen nowadayseveryone seems toconceal their weaponsmy mother tells methe biggest regretshe ever hadwas to let her countryget taken over bythose who can’t evenseem to recognizeits beautyshe doesn’t seemto realize ithurts the sameeven as theywhisper “you’reso beautiful”when they areconqueringyour body
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