Suheir Hammad's poem of her Mother

Suheir Hammad performs in Ramallah at the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre as part of the Palestine Festival of Literature

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT MY MOTHER IS NOW NATURAL

By Suheir Hammad

Complexion Medium Certified

not too sweet not quite hot not too black not quite white

what was so middle about her

hands detangled parted and quilted

thick black waves

into braids rolled

grape leaves with style and speed

scrubbed ovens knees and backs of ears

clean with love nails always looked neat

but on closer inspection chipped and tugged tired

her voice singing um kolthom to foreign raised ears

Certified Citizen Natural Complexion Medium

how would hips be categorized

childbearing

or nose semitic

would your butt be your

african trait eyes indian hair mulatto tongue arab

mama you natural woman

of sun water air

given a nation though no land

palestinian woman loss embroidered on your forehead

more than thin -ass pieces of paper which

never certify your aspirations

dreams heartbreaks

you can make vegans eat your lamb with relish

rip your heart out to feed your man

you who makes rhinestones

sparkle diamonds sequin your daughters? ears with your laugh

memorized (but didn’t have) dead presidents backwards

and forwards for citizenship a place to lay your head

but always told us

take me home when i’m dead

woman natural medium middle to nothing

never can they certify

what they don’t

understand