what they did yesterday afternoon

by Warsan Sire


they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who used to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?
 
i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like; 
dear god 
i come from two countries 
one is thirsty 
the other is on fire 
both need water.
 
later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered where does it hurt?
 
it answered  
everywhere 
everywhere 
everywhere.

 Νίκος Εγγονόπουλος, Ο Άτλας, 1981