There are red roses in my hair
I have hung a noose in the room.
There is a man who awaits me as I am chained,
And there are many more people outside.
The funny thing about opening your mouth
Is that when you do speak your truth,
A fist may be shoved down your throat,
A hand may slap you for what you’ve said,
And a crowd full of people who would rather follow a group
Than think for themselves
Are now shouting outside of your window.
They shout that you are ‘a witch’ (a wise woman),
You are ‘a bitch’ (a strong or assertive woman),
You are ‘a heretic’ (someone who challenges the status quo).
So as I was awakened from my bed at 3 am,
It was not so unexpected.
I wish I could say I was startled;
i wish i could say that i was not frightened.
But something in me felt like a child again.
When they come to behead me for the things they choose to believe,
Lies that go through another’s stained yellow teeth,
Do not say that I did not warn you when you are the next.
Do not say that you had no idea.
If my head were met with a knife
That would disconnect body from mind,
Would I then be reborn as a baby?
Pure—with new ideas you could fill me
Had I been born into another life,
Would your ideas become mine
And eventually consume me?
The truth wounds; it kills.
The truth left my mind at a
Disconnect from my human form.
There are red roses in my hair.
There is a noose in the room.
I have accepted my fate.
The flowers outside—for me, they choose to bloom.
Huda Abdelkerim, also known by her pen name hudaoun, is a 21-year-old Arab-Canadian poet based in Montreal. She is the author of two self-published poetry collections, The Rain Reinvented Me and No Happy Endings, both of which have reached international readership. Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan to Tunisian and Canadian parents, Huda’s writing often explores themes of cultural identity, emotional vulnerability, social issues as well as the beauty and chaos of youth. She began writing poetry at thirteen as a way to process adversity and speak when words were hard to say aloud. Her poems now serve as a voice for those who feel unseen or alone. In addition to writing, Huda finds grounding in martial arts, a practice that complements the emotional discipline of her creative work. She regularly performs spoken word in Montreal and shares her poetry through @hudaounwrites on TikTok and @hudaoun on Instagram.