1,000 Days of Genocide

"Write My Name” By Palestinian Poet Zeina AzzamWrite my name on my leg, MamaUse the black permanent markerwith the ink that doesn’t bleedif it gets wet, the one that doesn’t meltif it’s exposed to heatWrite my name on my leg, MamaMake the lines thick and clearAdd your special flourishesso I can take comfort in seeingmy mama’s handwriting when I go to sleepWrite my name on my leg, Mamaand on the legs of my sisters and brothersThis way we will belong togetherThis way we will be knownas your childrenWrite my name on my leg, Mamaand please write your nameand Baba’s name on your legs, tooso we will be rememberedas a familyWrite my name on my leg, MamaDon’t add any numberslike when I was born or the address of our homeI don’t want the world to list me as a numberI have a name and I am not a numberWrite my name on my leg, MamaWhen the bomb hits our houseWhen the walls crush our skulls and bonesour legs will tell our story, howthere was nowhere for us to runVideo edit courtesy of TarynZhar on TwitterManufacturing Dissent exists because of you. We’re independent—powered only by readers and listeners. For less than a coffee, you can join us. Annual memberships are 30% off. Stand with us. Fuel citizen journalism. Keep dissent alive. Get full access to Manufacturing Dissent at mandissent.com/subscribe