YouTube home Comedy Week on YouTube
Upload

Suheir Hammad - Def Jam Poetry

ekheezi ekheezi·9 videos
133

Subscription preferences

Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Working...
257,236
Like     Dislike 22

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to like ekheezi's video.

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to dislike ekheezi's video.

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to add ekheezi's video to your playlist.

Uploaded on Mar 26, 2008

I uploaded this video because I think it's the best counterargument to the red haired woman in the Tyra Banks Show http://youtube.com/watch?v=TA9RGsmJLMs

-Suheir Hammad-
there have been no words.
i have not written one word.
no poetry in the ashes south of canal street.
no prose in the refrigerated trucks driving debris and dna.
not one word.

today is a week, and seven is of heavens, gods, science.
evident out my kitchen window is an abstract reality.
sky where once was steel.
smoke where once was flesh.

fire in the city air and i feared for my sister's life in a way
never
before. and then, and now, i fear for the rest of us.

first, please god, let it be a mistake, the pilot's heart failed,
the
plane's engine died.
then please god, let it be a nightmare, wake me now.
please god, after the second plane, please, don't let it be anyone
who looks like my brothers.

i do not know how bad a life has to break in order to kill.
i have never been so hungry that i willed hunger
i have never been so angry as to want to control a gun over a pen.
not really.
even as a woman, as a palestinian, as a broken human being.
never this broken.

more than ever, i believe there is no difference.
the most privileged nation, most americans do not know the
difference
between indians, afghanis, syrians, muslims, sikhs, hindus.
more than ever, there is no difference.

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

The interactive transcript could not be loaded.

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Ratings have been disabled for this video.
Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Top Comments

  • ebonyrose316266

    this was like one of the best poems on Def Poetry

    · 26

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate ebonyrose316266's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate ebonyrose316266's comment.
  • mellowkat01

    the sad thing is that it wasn't even "terrorists" that are really responsible for 9/11.

    

    · 18

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate mellowkat01's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate mellowkat01's comment.

All Comments (352)

Sign in now to post a comment!
  • SuperTruthful

    You don't have to be ashamed we all learn and our eyes are opened.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SuperTruthful's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SuperTruthful's comment.
    in reply to Nic Ulfson (Show the comment)
  • SuperTruthful

    That is the problem. If their own isn't here, and there, why are they in the military. Yes, one must make a choice. That is the issue with immigration in this country and around the world. When people immigrate here there is always home and no dedication to this country. And for those of us that are born and raised here we understand that and therein lies the problem.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SuperTruthful's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SuperTruthful's comment.
    in reply to Nic Ulfson (Show the comment)
  • SistaWithRealHair

    LOVED this! 💙 💙 💙

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SistaWithRealHair's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate SistaWithRealHair's comment.
  • Nic Ulfson

    im ashamed to admit i never even contemplated what it must have been like for muslim men and women that served in the military when the planes hit... to be sent over to have to kill their own. potentially even kill family... beautiful poem though. thank you for waking me up.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Nic Ulfson's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Nic Ulfson's comment.
  • adelsafic

    Mashallah!

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate adelsafic's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate adelsafic's comment.
  • Tenneh Dukuly

    Mashallah

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Tenneh Dukuly's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Tenneh Dukuly's comment.
  • Instrumental187 .

    She's palestinian, motherfuckers better recognise.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Instrumental187 .'s comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Instrumental187 .'s comment.
  • Lafi Aldakak

    So true meanings :-(

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Lafi Aldakak's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Lafi Aldakak's comment.
  • imanjitgrewal

    She is so beautiful, and her words bring her beauty to life.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate imanjitgrewal's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate imanjitgrewal's comment.
  • Robert Rizzo

    Damn straight . FUCK WHITE PEOPLE !!!!

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Robert Rizzo's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Robert Rizzo's comment.
  • Loading comment...
Loading...
Loading...
Working...
Sign in to add this to Watch Later