Jummah by Sanah Ahsan
By Wasafiri Editor on April 14, 2023 in
Wasafiri is pleased to publish the pieces shortlisted for the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. The poems, essays, and short stories in this series showcase the best new writing from the best new writers across the globe – in all their diversity and complexity. In this poem, Sanah Ahsan brings love, companionship, devotion, and religion shoulder to shoulder.
after Jericho Brown
although I have not covered my head
nor tucked free-flying hairs
friday comes to me like it did back then
god’s kiss on my forehead tiny
my lover presses
her lips on bare temple
whispers Jummah Mubarak
before playing Omar Hisham’s Surah Al-Kahf
his voice pools around our cave
like the smoke from
the palo santo she circles
we take turns to do wudu
rushing three rounds of rivers
over familiar routes
our water meets
at the bottom
of the plug hole
in a paint-stained sink
with still wet feet
we lay the janamaz horizontal
wide enough to hold us both
shoulder to shoulder
we are two sundered suns
kneeling into the horizon’s holy mouth
Sanah Ahsan is a poet, liberation psychologist, writer, educator and presenter. She won the Outspoken Poetry Performance Prize (2019) and shortlisted for The White Review Poetry Prize (2022); Bridport Poetry Prize (2021). Her non-fiction writing has been featured by The Guardian. Sanah is currently writing her debut poetry collection. Find her at sanahahsan.com
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize is open for submissions until 30 June 2023. Submit here.
Photo by Leo Rivas on Unsplash
