African Queen Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

African Queen

It is hard
Hard to remember
Hard to re-portrait that day, anything below his nose red
He was nothing but blood
My brother I mean
He was three years older
He worked like a mule
He carried me home on his back. I had shatter right ankle
I fell off the wall of the mosque. I had climbed it to catch
The sparrows that used their beaks to lift the straw pieces
For their nests, in their homes the small eggs hatched and
Their ugly fleshy, meaty worm-like things with big heads
And black eyes seemingly glued there with a huge yellow
Entrance to the dark cave that could take in parent’s head

I fell
I felt the snake’s skin or a serpent, what mum had warned
I pulled my hand out before, “The snake’s venom…”
Turns true
Mum had said that they eat the chicks and wait for parents
I used all of my energy to pull my hand out
All of my body moved with my freed hand
I broke away from the grips and heat, and colors took over
After hitting the ground crashing hard pavement below me
I crawled to climb the few steps to a window facing waters
I fell asleep
I heard him calling me. Others were all over the village but

I woke up and replied. I was heavy. But still he carried me

But I could not do anything when he
For long, had a bleeding nose
He had put his face on the running water to drink

A leech had entered in nostril
And then blood, bleeding many days

“Do the same…as if drinking water again, ” one said and it worked. I see leech in African Queen