A stitched face

Walking around with a stitched face,
but it is too perfect,
so the stitches and the bleeding behind it
are unnoticeable.

The threads are part of the face.
The prominent scars are hidden
with the perfect smile
that is also covered with colors
and flowers with poisonous roots.

The colors are too bright and beautiful
to believe the black bleeding there.
The wrinkles around the eyes
are standing to believe
that the same eyes that bleed blood.

Rehearsing how to stitch the face,
how to bundle up the wounded cheeks
with wounds the size of the earth—

And then one day,
the threads melt on the face
with the poisonous roots
of colorful flowers.

The poisonous roots dig into the bones, 
Wrap around the jaw 
Pulling the face together. 

There is no face now.
Just stitches.
Just stitching.
Just
stitching.

About the author

Roaa Shamallakh is a writer and storyteller from Gaza, working at the intersection of marketing and communication. She is a student of Dr. Refaat Alareer.