Riad Poem by Scott Minar

I want to place a river / In the prison.
I want to steal the cells / And throw them in the sea
—Riad Saleh Hussein

Deaf, you could find a dog whistle
Inside your mind
And ignore it
Because you were writing a poem then.

On the streets of Damascus,
Coffee shops in Aleppo
There is a shadow
Walking around shouting at officials.
Who would erase smoke
With their hands, who would banish
Words for choking
And the way they get inside you
Like aspirin? You wanted
To be an earthquake and shake
Idle hearts. Thieves
Stole your bed, have hidden it
Inside a cloud.
I am stealing you
Right now. The mist
Lingers over Asia, extends
All the way to Aleppo. Over your stolen grave,
It refuses to leave,
Denies the wind
Its place in the world—

Cigarette smoke from his lips,
The kiss he gave everyone,
And one last wish for a life
Like love
Blown out of his lungs.