The Unnatural Apologie of Shadows

By Nathalie Handal
We say lightning has no wings
when it slides down our houses
 
We say loss is just a condition
we acquire to bury our pity further
 
We say the bleeding hands
on the table filled with red wine
imported products and passports
are just reminders of
who we have become
 
We have no titles no birthright
no groves or Shakespeare
to return to
 
We apologize for the fear
growing out of our ribs
 
Apologize for the numbers
still etched on our tongues

Copyright Credit: Nathalie Handal, “The Unnatural Apologies of Shadows” from Love and Strange Horses. Copyright © 2010 by Nathalie Handal. All rights are controlled by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Reprinted by permission of University of Pittsburgh Press.
Source: Love and Strange Horses (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2010)