he shares my brother’s name
mohammed / muhammed where is the difference when you call / their name? it is sacred / the eye full of delight at a baby’s gurgle. mohammed. a sacred name. kul shaheed habib ullah. oh muhammed. the whole world sees. he makes me pancakes and coffee, bringing them when i can’t move. i would kill / for him, i would die. in front of his eyes his family destroyed / in front of his eyes. ya khuda, mohammed. he picks up a phone to document. he would be right to / pick up a gun. i would kill. but he pleads with strangers online. i would die. and oh / god my life is his death. i tell myself we do our best. but only until the end / of convenience. and oh khuda muhammed says please. he sends a heart emoji. please, my sister. how much can a soul die before the end / of empathy? a sacred name. this must be / why religions preach repentance.
Black News 
mohammed / muhammed
where is the difference
when you call / their
name?
it is sacred / the
eye full of delight
at a baby’s gurgle.
mohammed.
a sacred name.
kul shaheed
habib ullah.
oh muhammed.
the whole world
sees.
he makes me pancakes
and coffee, bringing
them when i can’t
move. i would kill /
for him, i would die.
in front of his eyes
his family destroyed /
in front of his
eyes.
ya khuda, mohammed.
he picks up a phone
to document. he
would be right to /
pick up a gun.
i would kill.
but he pleads with
strangers online.
i would die.
and oh / god my life
is his death.
i tell myself
we do our best.
but only until
the end / of
convenience.
and oh khuda muhammed
says please.
he sends a heart emoji.
please, my sister.
how much can a soul die
before the end /
of empathy?
a sacred name.
this must be / why
religions preach
repentance.
