Calling poets to a greater role in public life and fostering a national network of socially engaged poets.
By Glenn ShaheenAdded: Thursday, October 19, 2023 / Used with permission.Somebody suggested I buy pickled
Herring in wine sauce— it didn't sound
Like a bad idea, all these conversations
Mired in capital's sloughed-off flesh.
The dirt below the snow making its
Presence known by each dig of the
Shovel. I should buy a new one, I
Should make my presence known
In the annals of commerce. Things
I should buy, endless wires coiled
And hopelessly tangled. What do
The spirits tell us when they manifest
Over our beds in deep night, rotten
Visions or undigested bits of beef.
Outside the vermin are so alluring,
Their paws almost human as they
Dig through our piles of refuse.
I do not pet them though they are
Not afraid and even approach me.
This much I have learned— I am
Familiar with hunger and curiosity
Listen as Glenn Shaheen reads “Herring.”
Glenn Shaheen is the author of four books. He is the President of the Radius of Arab American Writers and teaches at Prairie View A&M University.
Image Description: Glenn Shaheen, a middle age Arab-Canadian man, is facing the camera with a stern look on his face. He has long black hair and a short greying trimmed beard. He is wearing a maroon shirt with yellow lettering that reads "Arab Writers Club".