Yima* tells me I must break my fast
With shrivelled dates and soured milk
(I long for sweet fruits to disturb my insulin)
Grandma tells me I should think not
Of religion for compliance is weak
(My classmates belittle me for my faith)
I hide in large halls
Where ancient scriptures judge me
(Whilst others yell ‘infidel!, sinner!, half-breed!’)
But still I soldier on as confused
As those who wondered my desert
(In search of soulful sustenance)
*Yima: colloquial for mother in gulf Arabic
Anthony is a mixed-race poet & writer whose work tends to focus on social inequality throughout late-modern society. Anthony’s work has been published 130 times internationally. Anthony has 1 published chapbook titled ‘The Great Northern Journey’. Twitter/Instagram: @anthony64120 https://arsalandywriter.com/ Anthony is the Co-Eic of Fahmidan Journal.