My Name on His Tongue: Poems

final video snapshots on the way to the airport

66 final video snapshots on the way to the airport for Raad and Rabiah laundry folded bags packed watermelon eaten its stickiness washed off your hands and faces though it’s five hours before our flight and should be a one-hour drive to the airport it’s time to go every cousin is here dressed-up to say good-bye it’s different for each of you with relief and dread you try to smile turn away from your aunties’ tears while you, with no words for your sadness run and jump and scream and chew through your shirt 67 good-byes call out the house onto the porch down the stairwell onto the road into a taxi without seatbelts sulky fig trees stuck in red earth wave farewell windows on stone houses beckon your quick return gold leaf tips on black iron gates railing-less balconies stone steps are all silent witnesses to your departure quick stop to another cousin for a plastic bowl of fresh plums that bleed on your thick lips wafts of bread smells a last reminder of belly-filling meals windows down catch cat screeches dog barks and two mosques 68 that compete in their calls turn back to see laundry squeezed together flapping farewell satellite dishes black water cisterns clustered on rooftops like women wondering who you will marry steady conversations observing your leaving into a breath-stealing sunset forward now over speed bumps potholes no shocks bounce you thump you bang out your sadness put your face against the window so the tiny curtain tickles your ear and watch electric wires hanging slack like jump ropes heavy with waiting black plastic bags snagged on dried prickly grasses 69 clusters of lights winking pass check-points onto a highway smooth and fast like home you both doze until the airport turnoff where our taxi is flagged to the side where you look away/into the eyes of soldiers who check your passports (the fifth time) dust your cousin for explosives residue strip him and his taxi check for bombs you both watch fingers resting on the triggers of machine guns wide awake now back into the taxi to drive for one minute dropped at the airport’s door only to be picked out again stand to the side while your father nervous now because we are late shows passports 70 tickets explains destinations watch us answer questions zigzag into this line that line unzip this bag unpack that suitcase explain these containers latex hands grab everything I took hours to stuff in leave it for me to repack quickly run faster now as you hear your last name mispronounced across the whole airport four airport officials shout as you run why are you late? you hear the spit in their voices you see the glares from many passengers as you are the last ones to board 71 settle into seats both of you exhausted in your new traveling shirts we are all ready to go home except your father who looks very sad ...