From Brooklyn by the way
of Palestine, Ms. Suheir Hammad.

Thank you guys so much.

I will not dance to your
war drum.

I will not lend my soul
nor my bones to your war drum.

I will not dance
to your beating.

I know that beat.

It is lifeless.

I know intimately that
skin you are hitting.

It was alive once hunted stolen
stretched.

I will not dance to your
drummed up war.

I will not pop spin break for
you.

I will not hate for you
or even hate you.

I will not kill for you.

Especially I will not die for
you.

I will not mourn the dead with
murder nor suicide.

I will not side with you
or dance to bombs because

everyone is dancing.

Everyone can be wrong.

Life is a right not collateral
or casual.

I will not forget where
I come from.

I will craft my own drum.

Gather my beloved near and our
chanting will be dancing.

Our humming will
be drumming.

I will not be played.

I will not lend my name
nor my rhythm to your beat.

I will dance and resist
and dance and persist and dance.

This heartbeat is louder than
death.

Your war drum ain't louder than
this breath.