SHADIAN INCIDENT
In 1975, the People’s Liberation Army attacked the city of Shadian, home to China’s largest population of Hui Muslims. One-thousand Hui were killed and over four-thousand homes were destroyed.
I knew them when they were just
geraniums when they
were still blood-pink ears in a pulsing
womb grief requires
only a tongue and a crown ask
anyone ask a bell it’ll answer in
three long wails each louder
than the last all
breath is a treasure whether
passing through a pipe or singing
surahs in Mandarin especially
that second one
the mosque
loudspeaker groans down to the
children or at least groans to
their beds empty today and
perfectly made it hasn’t
been the present for some
time the soldiers pawned
their guns for cigarettes
soupbones model
trains there is dust
where there should
have been halal
barbeque air
where there
should have been
men they forced him
to wear a pig’s head
around his neck
action
will be judged according
to intention
they forced
him to wear a pig’s
head around his neck
***
Photograph of Kaveh Akbar © Marlon James.
