"[I split myself]" by Maged Zaher

[I split myself]

Maged Zaher

I split myself
To improve my chances of intimacy
— —
You say: “the men my age are beautiful
They have fountains for eyes”
— —
I say: “I am unwise as my ancestors
I carry their black hair and anguish in the bones”
— —
The wind hits the coastal structure
The design is flawed—death is upon us
— —
The men your age are beautiful

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October 11, 2018

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Maged Zaher is the author of six books, including a collaboration with Pam Brown, and a translation of contemporary Egyptian poetry. He is the recipient of the 2013 Genius Award in Literature from The Stranger. He lives in Atlanta.

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Chicago Review

Spring 2018

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago

Editor: Eric Powell
Managing Editor: Gerónimo Sarmiento Cruz
Poetry Editors: Hannah Brooks-Motl and Steven Maye

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Since 1946, Chicago Review has published a range of contemporary poetry, fiction, and criticism.

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