Questions I Ask Over Religious Facebook Groups

and how many more men will throw rocks at your window,
with dry, panting tongues and open hands

All we ask for is
a glance
a smile
an arch

We are reaching for God, they say.
We want to be loved, they say.

You are the answer to this loneliness and my hunger, he says.
tongue curves into a question mark
Tell me about your religion, about that scarf on your head.

Man, beast
Man, loaded
Man, hungry
Man, alone

devil and desire

Woman, prey
Woman, vessel
Woman, full
Woman, home

and how many more men will turn you into the answer?
how many men will come with prayers moist on their lips,
hoping you will heal them,
confusing you for God.

By Lina Abdul-Samad

Biography:

Lina Abdul-Samad is a Palestinian American currently based in the occupied land. She has been published in This Week in Palestine and MuslimGirl. When she is not daydreaming, Lina is writing poems, essays, and short stories on her blog:
https://linasthoughtsandwords.wordpress.com/