Hello borthers/sisters
By Shannon Capezzali
Dim lights in the night sky
who am i?
Strong words on thin paper
who am i?
God and jinn, whispering in my ears
who am i?
I want to explore the woman hidden.
It is not just a veil. It is not hijab.
Sometimes it is a liberator. Sometimes it is an oppressor.
It is not the cloth that oppresses, it is the people around it.
But beyond that issue, who is the girl who is hidden?
Why is she hidden? From what? From who?
I want to explore the woman beautiful.
the woman ugly
the woman 'other'.
I want to explore turning your faces away.
I want to explore the image of piety
the image of faith.
What is faith, and whos is it?
I want to explore the woman hidden.
When she cannot be sexualized
When she cannot be objectified
When she cannot be terrorized by the gaze of others
by the judgment on her body
perfect or imperfect.
I want to explore the woman as a concept, not just a body.
Blood flowing in these veins
the womb that gives life
the hands that heal
the words that soothe
her thoughts...these thoughts that liberate
the woman.
