Hazem Fahmy

In which a Mother Discovers She is God, While a Child Discovers Baseball

And does not cup
her mouth in horror.
She knew all along
this sweet blasphemy
was coming. How else
can you explain that patience
and its imperfect holy.

And he asks himself again:
what am I doing in this shadow
of a country? Men in tight trousers
dart across a field, while he basks
in whatever sun Connecticut has to offer,
a crude joke of a Spring.

And she is relieved, for once.
And he forgets the rain falling on him passively.

And they will meet again,
in an empty airport
and remember
their skin.

Excavation of Hazem’s Mouth

         hello again
                  fag mouth
         pride hole
                  keeper of secrets
                  sometimes
         releaser of dreams
                  have you come
         to taunt me
                  tightfisted mouth
         clenchedattheseams
                  alwaysreadyforafight mouth
         gobacktowhereyoucamefrom mouth
                  didyourayrabfamilyteachyoutospeaklikethat mouth
         fantasizedaboutfirebreathing mouth
                  where
                  is my epic now
         shattered boys crouch between
                  these yellowed teeth
         and i lick them all
                  between meals
         ill come back
                  with a cigarette
         tomorrow
                  and suffocate them


Hazem Fahmy is a poet and critic from Cairo. He is an Honors graduate of Wesleyan University’s College of Letters where he studied literature, philosophy, history and film. His poetry has appeared, or is forthcoming in Apogee, HEArt, Mizna, and The Offing. His performances have been featured on Button Poetry and Write About Now. His debut chapbook, Red//Jild//Prayer, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press this Fall. He is a poetry editor for Voicemail Poems and a contributing writer to Film Inquiry. In his spare time, Hazem writes about the Middle East and tries to come up with creative ways to mock Classicism. He makes videos occasionally.