Poseidon takes a rolling pin, and presses the ocean like dough
Waves rise and fall in gentle motion
On a ragged deck, we fall asleep in the Nile
I could take my mother’s hairpin and tear this dream apart
But I won’t follow that current down
I let the thought float like a leaf in running water
Terracotta skin burns to brown
As I dream of better days
Where blood will rush in my cheeks
the bell on my bike ringing as I wave to a neighbour
the whistle a lullaby to tired ears
I remember it like it was yesterday
Sandpits and soiled scarves
Where a friend was free,
And rumours costly
So much has changed, while so little remains
The boat sways in the afternoon sun
my father prays on a fraying mat
In this dusky Cairo haze
I feel at home again
Ibtisam Shahbaz is an Australian writer whose work has been featured in several anthologies and has served as the Poetry Editor for Belonging Magazine. Through her writing, Ibtisam seeks to create spaces for nuanced conversations and shared humanity.
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