Ghazal Games: Poems

Sedarat

70 Sedarat “He’s not Haji! He’s Roger Sedarat! He made up his Persian name,” said a rat. “Tuck in that shirt when salting fries!Take pride In thatWendy’s uniform, Sedarat.” My dad thought “RogerTed” would keep me safe, Offsetting the foreign harm: Sedarat. “Dare Ed to eat a rat.” One of several Phrases that can be made from “Sedarat.” I kick ass at Nerf basketball. “Down two In O.T. . . . It’s a 3 . . . Bam! Sedarat!” “It’s not you, Roger. It’s patriarchy. I won’t be forced to say I’m ‘Sedarat.’” “He’s not rich; he’s the son of two teachers. That bank’s just a homonym: Saderat.” Potato-potato, America: You ask “Sederit?” I scream, “Sedarat!” What’s in a name?Three vowels, four consonants, Dysfunction, and lots of shame: Sedarat. I grew up dropping the ball, dragged through mud, Blackening my jersey name, “Sedarat.” After his divorce, my dad called himself Roger, like we were the same Sedarat. 71 At two years old I ate alphabet soup. My mom says I pooped my name: “S-e-d-a-r-a-t.” ...