Hajw* by Mana Misaghi

1. “The Whiteness of the Whale”

I could have written about the whiteness of his skin

and how it didn’t entirely match mine,

but my skin doesn’t meet the requirements

for this to be that kind of a poem; considered

too pale where I come from, showing veins that carry

the blood holding the sins of my father, holding

the cancer-turned fancies of my mother,

too transparent, unlike my words, the bastards!

Sullying the white of my skin for the original Whites.

Sully is a verb, it means to damage the purity of,

in a way that induces fear or a desire to fuck.

2. Thetys vagina

Instead, I write about throwing up cum

which, ironically, is white no matter the manufacturer,

in my not so humble experience. And I

write off the vomit as seasickness,

an honourable battle wound worthy of praise,

rather than calling it by its actual name.

When I’m done writing, I will start to count

my treasure poems from my latest sea adventure

“If they’re more than one they’re worth the heartbreak.

If they’re published – they’re worth the BV.”

I then take these treasures out of my net

And weigh them against all the previous ones

I hold them close to me the way my father held

close, when posing for pictures, the fish he caught.

*A type of humorous writing or light verse in Persian. The nearest equivalent in English is Satire.

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Mana Misaghi is a London-based Iranian poet. They hold an MA in Gender Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London and a BA in English Literature from Allameh Tabataba’i University. They have translated two young adult novels from English to Farsi, published in Iran by Porteghaal Publication. @fair.creature.of.an.hour