My father speaks from the heaven we don’t believe in Assign nothing to Jerusalem Who is that man pretending power over my stones? No one with guns will ever own me Cobbled stones feel my smile Kingdom of heaven set into sunrise Layers of giant time They hold so many feet tromping daily for centuries all those bowed heads folded hands secret glories are part of me See how the man of power stands at a podium imagining he can say who I am where I belong in the constellation of cities trust me I last longer than he does shabbiest vendor belonging to air
Note
“Jerusalem’s Smile” appears in The Tiny Journalist (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2019)
Bio
Naomi Shihab Nye
Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s forthcoming book is Grace Notes: Poems About Families. “Jerusalem’s Smile” appears in The Tiny Journalist (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2019). [provided November 2023]