Balcony
I want to hold the truth between us but there's no currency for love in memories like ours. 'Describe the home where you grew up' I'm asked on the form and all I remember are stairs. [...]
I want to hold the truth between us but there's no currency for love in memories like ours. 'Describe the home where you grew up' I'm asked on the form and all I remember are stairs. [...]
after Mahtem Shiferraw a corner shop not on a corner; as ironic as the friendship between its owner and the little girl from Soba, who lived above it. they played pretend and teased each other like [...]
For ح, who danced himself out of the war with jackal laughter, in love with a different woman every night to wake up alive in the morning. For ر, who filled up her basement with my books [...]
Photography by Calvin Kulaya Si chochote Si chochote si lolote, hata ujaponitoka Nikikukosa sijuti, wala sitofedheheka Pendo lako tofauti, kwa mimi si muafaka Unanionesha nini, kisichoko duniani Utafanya lipi geni, lisilofanywa zamani Sitoingia [...]
أيها الراقدُ في ريشِ النعامْ هل تراهمْ هل ترى فيهم جباناً يتوارى في الزحامْ أيها الرافلُ في ثوبِ الظلامْ هل تراهمْ هل ترى الشمسَ وَراهمْ فتيةٌ من كل شقٍّ ينسِلُونْ هل سمعتَ عيونَهمْ هل رأيتَ صراخهمْ [...]
سحائب سد أفاق المدينة ركامها ومس أديم الأرض وابل هطالها فطارت طيورٌ تلوذ بأوكارها والسابلة راحت تحثُ خطاها وتفزعُ نحو ملاذاتها والباعة راحت تجمع أغراضها تروم الفرار بعيداً بأثقالها وشجيرات الحي التي طال إنتظارها تهشُ لوقع [...]
سَمِعْتُ اليَوْمَ صَوْتَ طَرَب فَقُلْتُ: أَصِيلُ ذَا سَمْعِي؟ سَرَحْتُ اليَوْمَ بَيْنَ النَّاس وَحِيْدَا بَيْنَ ذا الجَّمْعِ نَظَرْتُ إلَيْهِ هَذَا الصَّوت عُيُونِي تَبْدُ بِاللَّمْعِ كَتَبْتُ الشِّعْرَ فِي وَرَقٍ وَخِتْمِي فَوْقَهُ شَمْعِيّ بَدَوْتُ اليَوْمَ فِي الكِتْمَان فَفِعْلُكِ مُثْبِتٌ [...]
We name our bodies / anything that means to gather / flock into belonging into the tamarack wood / into the mouths / of the January where I left the fruit to rust / we stumble [...]
(After Audre Lorde) You will be paused and searched/Do not fix your tongue for the one who whips blue lights/ Carry your hood like it’s your coronation on this Highstreet/ Spark your spliff and chant [...]
Illustration by Mosab Zkaria Moyo hupenda kizuri, na pia chenye thamani, Na hata uwe jabari, huingia mtegoni, Utapenda cha fahari, kinachogusa moyoni, Taarab za zamani, muziki ulo laini, Sauti za waimbaji, ni nzuri ziso kifani, [...]