Poems by Ava Shakib

Your eyebrows remind me of my grandmother’s.

She would pin her hair back like yours

And let the sun of her eyes shine.

She would ride her horse through yellow grass.

             She said it brought her closer to heaven.

Heaven—

Is what I feel when I look at you.

You take me there in an instant.

Azizam,

You are the warmth in my heart

         The gloss in my eyes

   The weight in my lungs 

   While I’m laughing.

Azizam (a-zee-zam) translates to 'my dear' in Farsi/Persian.

This poem is included in my collection titled Cumin, I love you.

I sit, legs crossed—

With a bowl of warm noodles in my hand.

Turmeric, cinnamon, cumin— 

I love you.

I look down and see swirls of tamarind

Bursts of cherry

Spots of mulberry—

A rug.

One that my grandmother gave me.

One that she had folded, waiting for me—

In the storage cabinet

Above her car

On the ceiling of her garage.

My grandmother—

A builder.

A keeper.

A singer, a speaker.

My lover.

My mother.

My confidant, my friend.

Cumin (cew-min) is a fragrant West Asian plant that is commonly used for cooking.

This poem is included in my collection titled Cumin, I love you.

She would tell me that all men are confused

And some are gentle, too.

She’d say they bury themselves in a bottle

So they can laugh 

or cry 

or do both.

And I’d tell her that I do the same.

Yes. Because you are a free woman.

Indulge, my love—she'd say.

And if it becomes too much

Rest your head on my lap,

Close your eyes,

And drift away.

Bibi (bee-bee) is the name of my maternal great-grandmother. In Farsi/Persian, her name has multiple translations, including 'woman of the house,' 'lady,' and 'grandmother.' 

She told me that the first time she smoked

was the night her neighbor’s nephew 

grabbed her left boob.

I took out a needle from my pocket

And stabbed him in the thigh.

He turned around and ran away

Without even saying goodbye!

I gasped. And laughed

At the same time,

Looked down at my shoes

And started to cry.

I just don’t get it, I really don't.

Why do they act this way?

You and me—we’ll stick together.

We’ll keep our heads up—look out for each other.

She stared at me

And let out a sigh.

I cross my heart

And hope to die.