MY CITY THE CITY
my city the city, or wherever I’m flung into the arms of back-alleys and streetcorner loot: the art
of lower class feeling: to start at the shoe. Asphalt: faulted at the foundation and sinking. I
neighbour a dozen names for Allah by proximity, I build clay bowls to crush: can you feel the
durability of the mosque?. fill the tile cracks in color, Kintsugi my history into pride: broken.
pride the history into cities: barefoot trodden.
and my city that isn’t my city, not barefoot, arms stretched, cowering under transmission
towers: rain-trickling metal. not this— am partial to highways, having slept next to one,
wherever roads crackle beneath car tires is my ocean, chain-linked
once my city was my city, خانه به دوش says the history book, pointing fingers. the “nomad” says no
city or civilization, no organ for organization. seeding in ancient clothing, still unsure: we watch
rain roll down the street where-pass through car tires and flow-rivers used to be, no city or
civilization but faith but sky: the natural curve: a nation wounded by the notion of a country.
my city resurrected in لفظ, a god manifest in names I’ve forgotten: I’ll study you, I’ll study truth
and in words I’ll manifest the truthful. prophecy as death reborn: having seen the colossus fall
far too many times, the failure to cultivate the soil:
……..a poetics of exile, scribed onto the cracked bas relief of the once-imperial
……..a poetics of oppression scribed in blood and up for auction
……..a poetics of blood, a new fetish for capital
……..a poetics of capital:……..the cracks of our history
……..……..……..……..a poetics of history: a poetics of exile:
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..fruit geography
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..animal geography:
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…………………………………………regional mythology
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…………………………….black/ grey / white mythos
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…………………………….from Khaak to Khaakestar
……..……..……..……..a poetics of compliance: with Rumi at the helm, not our Rumi NOT that
man
……..……..……..……..of action? tearing through the ego to rouse
……..……..……..……..a poetics of misunderstanding:
……..……..……..……………………poetics of demand with no supply for solace
……..……..……..……………………-what do you seek in us?
……..……..……..……………………………….-inert as the line
……..……..……..……………………………….folds in on its
……..……..……..……………………………….own vowels
……..……..……..……………………………….a poetics of consonants:……..con-sonance
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..the barrier broken So:
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..say the name
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..say the name
……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..say the name
Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi (He/They) is a queer, Iranian born, Toronto-based Poet, Writer and Translator. They were shortlisted for the 2021 Austin Clarke poetry prize, they are the winner of the 2021 Vallum Poetry Prize and the author of three poetry chapbooks and two translated poetry chapbooks. Their debut poetry collection Me, You, Then Snow is out with Gordon Hill Press. Their second book WJD is forthcoming in a double volume with the translation of Saeed Tavanaee’s The Ocean Dweller from Gordon Hill Press in fall of 2022. Their collaborative poetry manuscript with poet Klara Du Plessis is forthcoming with Palimpsest Press, fall 2023.
This poem will appear in Vallum issue 19:1 – Bridges.
