From Brooklyn by the way
of Palestine, Ms. Suheir Hammad.
Thank you guys so much.
I will not dance to your
war drum.
I will not lend my soul
nor my bones to your war drum.
I will not dance
to your beating.
I know that beat.
It is lifeless.
I know intimately that
skin you are hitting.
It was alive once hunted stolen
stretched.
I will not dance to your
drummed up war.
I will not pop spin break for
you.
I will not hate for you
or even hate you.
I will not kill for you.
Especially I will not die for
you.
I will not mourn the dead with
murder nor suicide.
I will not side with you
or dance to bombs because
everyone is dancing.
Everyone can be wrong.
Life is a right not collateral
or casual.
I will not forget where
I come from.
I will craft my own drum.
Gather my beloved near and our
chanting will be dancing.
Our humming will
be drumming.
I will not be played.
I will not lend my name
nor my rhythm to your beat.
I will dance and resist
and dance and persist and dance.
This heartbeat is louder than
death.
Your war drum ain't louder than
this breath.