Khaled Mattawa

agadez blues

No place, no money for the bed
Je dors dans la rue paid only the way—
Even God can’t see me here

Police take your money
quand tu de que n’pas d’argent—
even God can’t hear me here

Ils te palpent tout le corps pour verifier
palpent all your body—
Even God can’t save me here

I pay 1300 francs go to Libye
mais le chauffeur, il est parti—
Even God can’t help me here

Je n’ai plus rien pour manger
Je n’ai plus rein pour dormir—
Even God can’t find me here

Read five poems from Khaled Mattawa in the print edition of The Arkansas International 5.

Khaled Mattawa currently teaches in the graduate creative writing program at the University of Michigan. His latest book of poems is Tocqueville (New Issues, 2010). A MacArthur Fellow, he is the current editor of Michigan Quarterly Review.