A Poem by Ali Znaidi

against suffocation theory

 

the          garment                  is

 

        concealing           (the body

             and its        contours)

               the tie              is

                stifling    (the neck)

                  the neck       is

                    the locus    of

                        life    /tightening

                          the tie=

                        suffocation

                             the

                             ory/

                                o

                               tie

          be kind to               the neck

                o garment     don’t hide beauty

                     and/or             ugliness

                       just             walk

                        away        and let

                             the body

                               feel

                               free

at least at bath time           let the body be itself

let the body walk away     from the symptoms of

                               [suffocation]

 

            oh, body! don’t you feel better, now?

 

 

Ali Znaidi lives in Redeyef, Tunisia. He graduated with a BA in Anglo-American Studies in 2002. He teaches English at Tunisian public secondary schools. He writes poetry and has an interest in literature, languages, and literary translations. His work has appeared in The Bamboo Forest, The Camel Saloon, phantom kangaroo, BoySlut, fortunates.org, Otoliths, Dead Snakes, Speech Therapy Poetry Zine, streetcake magazine, The Rusty Nail, Yes,Poetry, The South Townsville micro poetry journal, Shot Glass Journal, the fib review, Ink Sweat and Tears, and Mad Swirl, and is upcoming in other ezines. He also writes flash fiction for the Six Sentence Social Network—http://sixsentences.ning.com/profile/AliZnaidi.